theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Councillors back plan for Magdalene laundry to be third-level college

Dublin city councillors have voted in favour of progressing plans to turn the former Magdalene laundry building on Sean McDermott Street into a centre for third-level education .
The proposed plans , which were presented to councillors by Dublin City Council representatives on Tuesday , also include the development of social housing units for older people and a memorial in memory of victims and survivors of Ireland ’ s institutional homes .
Deputy chief executive of the housing department Brendan Kenny confirmed that discussions are ongoing with educational institutions around the development of the site , but that the council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives before proceeding with the project .
Proposals also include the construction of social units for older people on the site and a memorial , he said .
Mr Kenny said the plans will now go to tender and that the council is seeking interest from all major educational institutions .
But he confirmed that discussions with the National College of Ireland regarding the redevelopment of the site had already taken place .
Local Dublin north inner city Cllr Gary Gannon posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon that the plans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development for the city ” and that the area would become a “ living monument to Ireland ’ s past , to acknowledge the wrongs that was inflicted on women and men throughout our history , and to become a place of hope and renewal ” .
Cllr Gannon led the motion to block the sale of the two-acre site in 2018 after it was revealed the Japanese hotel chain Tokyo Inn had offered the council €14.5 million for the former laundry .
Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of halting the proposed sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of bringing activist groups to the site , talking to area managers and trying to give them a sense of what this site of conscience would be like , ” said Cllr Gannon .
“ They were fearful that we wanted the whole site to be a museum but we explained that a site of conscience can be a multitude of things , that community and cultural amenities could all be incorporated.
” In their Dublin Agreement for 2019-2024 , published in June 2010 , councillors from across all parties laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site of conscience ” at the location of the former Magdalene laundry that would “ seek to honour and commemorate the victims and survivors of Ireland ’ s institutional past ” .
Councillors were told on Tuesday to expect an update on the tender in February , according to Cllr Gannon .
He added that the “ open-heart collective ” , consisting of activists , architects and academics , would continue to work on plans for the memorial in consultation with survivors , their representative groups and the local community .

Councillors from all parties proposed a ‘multipurpose site of conscience’ at the location of the former Magdalene laundry. File photograph: Getty
Dublin city councillors have voted in favour of progressing plans to turn the former Magdalene laundry building on Sean McDermott Street into a centre for third-level education.
The proposed plans, which were presented to councillors by Dublin City Council representatives on Tuesday, also include the development of social housing units for older people and a memorial in memory of victims and survivors of Ireland's institutional homes.
Deputy chief executive of the housing department Brendan Kenny confirmed that discussions are ongoing with educational institutions around the development of the site, but that the council wanted to ensure full support from public representatives before proceeding with the project. Proposals also include the construction of social units for older people on the site and a memorial, he said.
Mr Kenny said the plans will now go to tender and that the council is seeking interest from all major educational institutions. But he confirmed that discussions with the National College of Ireland regarding the redevelopment of the site had already taken place.
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Local Dublin north inner city Cllr Gary Gannon posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon that the plans for the site would be an "incredible development for the city" and that the area would become a "living monument to Ireland's past, to acknowledge the wrongs that was inflicted on women and men throughout our history, and to become a place of hope and renewal".
Cllr Gannon led the motion to block the sale of the two-acre site in 2018 after it was revealed the Japanese hotel chain Tokyo Inn had offered the council €14.5 million for the former laundry. Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of halting the proposed sale.
‘A site of concience’
“We haven’t stopped in terms of bringing activist groups to the site, talking to area managers and trying to give them a sense of what this site of conscience would be like,” said Cllr Gannon. “They were fearful that we wanted the whole site to be a museum but we explained that a site of conscience can be a multitude of things, that community and cultural amenities could all be incorporated.”
In their Dublin Agreement for 2019-2024, published in June 2010, councillors from across all parties laid out plans to develop a “multipurpose site of conscience” at the location of the former Magdalene laundry that would “seek to honour and commemorate the victims and survivors of Ireland’s institutional past”.
Councillors were told on Tuesday to expect an update on the tender in February, according to Cllr Gannon. He added that the “open-heart collective”, consisting of activists, architects and academics, would continue to work on plans for the memorial in consultation with survivors, their representative groups and the local community.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Taoiseach pledges to use national funds to make up any shortfall in EU CAP supports

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has pledged that Fine Gael will use national funding to make up any shortfall in support for Irish farmers as a result of proposed Common Agricultural Policy reform at European Union level .
Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael was acutely aware of the importance of agriculture to rural Ireland and he was willing to fight hard at EU level to oppose any cuts in farm supports in any reform of the CAP .
“ It ’ s going to be a real battle – a lot of other countries in the European Union want to reduce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas that they consider to be more important .
“ It ’ s going to be quite a battle to maintain the CAP budget but I am up for that battle – I ’ ve learned a lot from the Brexit negotiations and I have a good team behind me including people like Phil Hogan , Simon Coveney , Helen McEntee.
” Mr Varadkar said he had also developed many contacts in the European Union over his involvement in Brexit talks and he would seek to use that “ political capital ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However he said that in the event there was a move to reduce EU spending on the CAP , then Fine Gael in government would be willing to draw on national funds to make up the shortfall and ensure Irish farming remains viable .
“ Yes , we are willing to use national funding to top up the CAP funding if needs be to ensure we protect farm incomes and the rural economy but the priority has to be to make sure we get as big a slice of the CAP budget as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that me as Taoiseach and the people I have behind me are the best people to fight for farmers and fight for rural Ireland in those negotiations around the European table.
” Speaking during a canvass with Cork East Fine Gael candidates , David Stanton TD and Pa O ’ Driscoll at Fermoy Mart , Mr Varadkar said , “ Fine Gael ’ s focus is very much on agriculture and we know agriculture is the heartbeat of the rural economy and in many ways is the heartbeat of the Fine Gael party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that if re-elected taoiseach , he would , in addition to making the case for Irish agriculture in CAP budget negotiations , work hard to secure a good trade deal for Irish farmers in any trade deal with the UK .
He said he would press hard to ensure any trade deal the EU negotiates with the UK post-Brexit would give Irish farmers “ tariff-free , tax-free , quota-free access to the UK market which is so important for Irish agriculture .
“ We need that tariff-free , tax-free , quota-free trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much of our exports go to the UK , particularly beef , cheese and mushrooms which are dependent on the UK market.
” Mr Varadkar pledged he would also make the case for Irish farmers that , in any future EU deal with other blocs such as the Mercosaur countries , they are not disadvantaged by stronger EU commitments to protecting the environment .
Mr Varadkar ’ s pledge that Fine Gael would defend Irish farm families was re-iterated by Tánaiste , Simon Coveney .
“ We recognise the role family farming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parish , in every town and every constituency across the country , different types of farming , different sizes of farm , different income levels , ” Mr Coveney said .
Mr Coveney said he had impressed upon EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday how important both farming and fishing were to Ireland in terms of its trade relationship with the UK .
Mr Coveney said it was imperative Ireland , through the EU , achieved a seamless trade deal with the UK that doesn ’ t have any tariffs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed to achieve that goal .
“ Farming will always be a priority for Fine Gael , we are steeped in it and we always will be and if you are a farm family worried about the future of beef prices or dairy expansion or the transition , we are the party to work with , ” he said .

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has pledged that Fine Gael will use national funding to make up any shortfall in support for Irish farmers as a result of proposed Common Agricultural Policy reform at European Union level.
Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael was acutely aware of the importance of agriculture to rural Ireland and he was willing to fight hard at EU level to oppose any cuts in farm supports in any reform of the CAP.
“It’s going to be a real battle – a lot of other countries in the European Union want to reduce the budget for CAP and put into other areas that they consider to be more important.
"It's going to be quite a battle to maintain the CAP budget but I am up for that battle – I've learned a lot from the Brexit negotiations and I have a good team behind me including people like Phil Hogan, Simon Coveney, Helen McEntee."
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Mr Varadkar said he had also developed many contacts in the European Union over his involvement in Brexit talks and he would seek to use that “political capital” to fight for maintaining the CAP budget.
However he said that in the event there was a move to reduce EU spending on the CAP, then Fine Gael in government would be willing to draw on national funds to make up the shortfall and ensure Irish farming remains viable.
“Yes, we are willing to use national funding to top up the CAP funding if needs be to ensure we protect farm incomes and the rural economy but the priority has to be to make sure we get as big a slice of the CAP budget as possible.
“And I honestly believe that me as Taoiseach and the people I have behind me are the best people to fight for farmers and fight for rural Ireland in those negotiations around the European table.”
Speaking during a canvass with Cork East Fine Gael candidates, David Stanton TD and Pa O'Driscoll at Fermoy Mart, Mr Varadkar said, "Fine Gael's focus is very much on agriculture and we know agriculture is the heartbeat of the rural economy and in many ways is the heartbeat of the Fine Gael party in many rural constituencies".
He said that if re-elected taoiseach, he would, in addition to making the case for Irish agriculture in CAP budget negotiations, work hard to secure a good trade deal for Irish farmers in any trade deal with the UK.
He said he would press hard to ensure any trade deal the EU negotiates with the UK post-Brexit would give Irish farmers “tariff-free, tax-free, quota-free access to the UK market which is so important for Irish agriculture.
“We need that tariff-free, tax-free, quota-free trade deal negotiated through the European Union because so much of our exports go to the UK, particularly beef, cheese and mushrooms which are dependent on the UK market.”
Mr Varadkar pledged he would also make the case for Irish farmers that, in any future EU deal with other blocs such as the Mercosaur countries, they are not disadvantaged by stronger EU commitments to protecting the environment.
Mr Varadkar’s pledge that Fine Gael would defend Irish farm families was re-iterated by Tánaiste, Simon Coveney.
“We recognise the role family farming plays across rural Ireland, in every parish, in every town and every constituency across the country, different types of farming, different sizes of farm, different income levels,” Mr Coveney said.
Mr Coveney said he had impressed upon EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday how important both farming and fishing were to Ireland in terms of its trade relationship with the UK.
Mr Coveney said it was imperative Ireland, through the EU, achieved a seamless trade deal with the UK that doesn’t have any tariffs or quotas attached and Fine Gael was best placed to achieve that goal.
“Farming will always be a priority for Fine Gael, we are steeped in it and we always will be and if you are a farm family worried about the future of beef prices or dairy expansion or the transition, we are the party to work with,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Mother (93) has right of residence upheld despite judgment against son

A 93-year-old woman is “ perfectly entitled ” to continue residing at her family home regardless of a judgment for €779,000 against her son , who owns the property , the High Court has ruled .
Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington said any failure to properly provide for Eithne Ryan ’ s right to support and maintenance “ lies squarely ” with her son Bryan Ryan , who owns the house and attached 135-acre farm over which there is a debt of €1.4 million to Bank of Ireland ( BoI ) .
She was giving judgment in a case brought by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to her right of residence and support arising out of a will made by her late husband Laurence Ryan in which he left the family home and farm at Bunker Hill , Cratloe , Co Clare , to Bryan .
He left €20,000 to his wife and said she would have a right of residence and support in Bunker Hill for life .
The bank had argued that , with a debt of €1.4 million , it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that the €779,000 debt to the mother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of residence/support , would be utilised to cancel the bank ’ s ability to recover the debt .
Mrs Ryan had sought a declaration that her right of residence and support ranked as a first charge , in priority to the bank ’ s charge over the property .
The bank brought a counterclaim against both Mrs Ryan and her son seeking a declaration that her right of residence only related to the house and not the farm .
It also argued any charge in her favour did not take priority over its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Pilkington said , before bringing the proceedings seeking a declaration in relation to residence , Mrs Ryan had , in 2015 , sued her son requiring him to support and maintain her in Bunker Hill in accordance with her husband ’ s will .
She also sought an order requiring Bryan Ryan to carry out all necessary works or repairs on the houses .
Mr Ryan did not contest his mother ’ s proceedings saying through his lawyers he did not “ wish to drag a family dispute involving his mother before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no obvious grounds to defend same ” .
In 2016 , the court gave judgment in favour of Mrs Ryan against her son for €779,225 , which included valuing her right of residence and support at €428,000 , €281,000 for repairs to the house and another €60,000 specifically for repairing the roof .
Ms Justice Pilkington said it did not appear any steps were taken by Mrs Ryan to enforce that judgment .
Mrs Ryan , who the judge described as “ an impressive lady and well able to keep up with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it perfectly clear she had no intention of moving out of the house , although she did not give evidence .
It was forcibly argued on behalf of the bank that her right of residence proceedings were “ part of a strategy ” designed to affect the ability of the bank to recover monies on foot of the charge it has on the property , she said .
This was “ not a matter for this court ” , but Mrs Ryan was entitled to reside in Bunker Hill and responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Justice Pilkington said .
She was satisfied the burden on the property in Mrs Ryan ’ s favour extends only to the house .
There was therefore no necessity for the court to consider the bank ’ s application regarding the rectification of the registering of that burden , she said .

Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington said any failure to properly provide for Eithne Ryan’s right to support and maintenance “lies squarely” with her son Bryan Ryan, who owns the house and attached 135-acre farm over which there is a debt of €1.4 million to Bank of Ireland (BoI). File photograph: Collins Courts
A 93-year-old woman is “perfectly entitled” to continue residing at her family home regardless of a judgment for €779,000 against her son, who owns the property, the High Court has ruled.
Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington said any failure to properly provide for Eithne Ryan’s right to support and maintenance “lies squarely” with her son Bryan Ryan, who owns the house and attached 135-acre farm over which there is a debt of €1.4 million to Bank of Ireland (BoI).
She was giving judgment in a case brought by Mrs Ryan against BoI seeking orders in relation to her right of residence and support arising out of a will made by her late husband Laurence Ryan in which he left the family home and farm at Bunker Hill, Cratloe, Co Clare, to Bryan. He left €20,000 to his wife and said she would have a right of residence and support in Bunker Hill for life.
The bank had argued that, with a debt of €1.4 million, it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that the €779,000 debt to the mother, which was the valuation of her right of residence/support, would be utilised to cancel the bank’s ability to recover the debt.
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Declaration sought
Mrs Ryan had sought a declaration that her right of residence and support ranked as a first charge, in priority to the bank’s charge over the property.
The bank brought a counterclaim against both Mrs Ryan and her son seeking a declaration that her right of residence only related to the house and not the farm. It also argued any charge in her favour did not take priority over its registered burden on the property.
Ms Justice Pilkington said, before bringing the proceedings seeking a declaration in relation to residence, Mrs Ryan had, in 2015, sued her son requiring him to support and maintain her in Bunker Hill in accordance with her husband’s will. She also sought an order requiring Bryan Ryan to carry out all necessary works or repairs on the houses.
Mr Ryan did not contest his mother’s proceedings saying through his lawyers he did not “wish to drag a family dispute involving his mother before the courts, especially where he has no obvious grounds to defend same”.
In 2016, the court gave judgment in favour of Mrs Ryan against her son for €779,225, which included valuing her right of residence and support at €428,000, €281,000 for repairs to the house and another €60,000 specifically for repairing the roof.
‘Impressive lady’
Ms Justice Pilkington said it did not appear any steps were taken by Mrs Ryan to enforce that judgment. Mrs Ryan, who the judge described as “an impressive lady and well able to keep up with her activities at that time”, had made it perfectly clear she had no intention of moving out of the house, although she did not give evidence.
It was forcibly argued on behalf of the bank that her right of residence proceedings were “part of a strategy” designed to affect the ability of the bank to recover monies on foot of the charge it has on the property, she said.
This was “not a matter for this court”, but Mrs Ryan was entitled to reside in Bunker Hill and responsibility for it lay squarely with her son, Ms Justice Pilkington said.
She was satisfied the burden on the property in Mrs Ryan’s favour extends only to the house. There was therefore no necessity for the court to consider the bank’s application regarding the rectification of the registering of that burden, she said.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Man who killed Jastine Valdez shrugged before being shot by gardaí, inquest told

Mark Hennessy took his hands from the steering wheel and shrugged his shoulders before he was shot by gardaí , an inquest into his death heard .
The 40-year-old , who abducted and killed 24-year-old student Jastine Valdez from Enniskerry , Co Wicklow , used a knife to inflict injuries to his wrist and neck moments before he was shot shortly after 8pm on May 20th , 2018 at Cherrywood Business Park .
A uniformed garda in an unmarked car , Garda C , told Dublin Coroner ’ s Court he kicked the car in a bid to gain access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stanley knife into his forearm .
The manoeuvre , described in court as an “ impressive karate kick ” failed to break the driver ’ s window and just 3.3 seconds later , the fatal shot was fired .
The shot was discharged by Garda A , the most senior of the three gardaí at the scene .
Mark Hennessy slumped over the passenger seat .
He was removed from the car and placed on the ground as gardaí searched the vehicle for the missing Filipina student .
The only item found was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two unmarked Garda cars involved were conducting searches of car parks and lay-bys within a five-mile radius of Bray in the search for Jastine , who had been abducted 24 hours earlier .
They were directed in to the car park , to Mark Hennessy ’ s vehicle by Christine Connolly , who recognised the registration after reading a news item and called 999 .
Mr Hennessy was behind the wheel as gardaí approached , his window was down , he was moving slowly .
“ I shouted , stop the car , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garda C said .
“ My sole intention was to get him out of the car , with no access to be able to drive it away from us .
“ My first attempt was to open the door , which was locked .
Immediately on trying the door and looking in , I saw him hold up the Stanley knife .
He was looking straight at me and the knife went into the forearm , ” Garda C said .
“ My instinct was to put the boot to the vehicle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , and it was purely instinctual to kick the window .
“ I became aware of Garda A to my right .
He was trying the door .
It was locked .
Then I became aware of the firearm in my peripheral vision , ” Garda C said .
“ I heard a crack from the firearm and could see a hole in the window and Mr Hennessy slumping over in the vehicle.
” Garda C took the key fob from the ignition and used it to unlock the car .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgent assistance noting that shots had been fired by gardaí .
Garda C was the observer in a vehicle driven by his colleague , Garda B. Garda A was the sole occupant of the second unmarked car at the scene .
Three members of the Civil Defence watched the events from their truck .
They had blocked off the entrance to the car park after Mark Hennessy drove in .
They moved their vehicle to the front of the Nissan Qashqai .
All three had received a text at 5.05pm that evening requesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Volunteer James Magee said he had an unobstructed view of events .
“ He [ Mark Hennessy ] took his hands off the wheel and made a shrug motion .
Possibly at us , possibly at gardaí , ” he said .
“ I recall the gardaí were trying to open the door , they were shouting ‘ open the door ’ and another voice said smash the window .
I saw a garda raise a karate kick at the driver ’ s window but it did not break .
The driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over for him , ” Mr Magee said .
“ He took a blade , about 10cm and cut from his left wrist to elbow in one single slicing motion.
” He saw one of the gardaí approach the driver ’ s side door .
“ He was about a yard or two away when he was taking the gun out of his holster.
” Mr Magee saw the garda raise a revolver to shoulder height and fire through the window .
He said the time between the arrival of gardaí at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was four to five minutes .
Hennessy was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.38pm .
Senior Investigating Officer Det Supt Frank Heeneghan said he took the decision to issue the registration of the Nissan Qashqai at a press conference three hours earlier at 5.30pm .
It was this information , published in the media , which led Christine Connolly to recognise the registration of the Nissan Qashqai , follow the car driven by Mark Hennessy and alert emergency services to his location .
“ Every available car , jeep , whatever we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovering Jastine , ” Det Supt Keeneghan said .
The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday to hear further evidence .

Mark Hennessy took his hands from the steering wheel and shrugged his shoulders before he was shot by gardaí, an inquest into his death heard.
The 40-year-old, who abducted and killed 24-year-old student Jastine Valdez from Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, used a knife to inflict injuries to his wrist and neck moments before he was shot shortly after 8pm on May 20th, 2018 at Cherrywood Business Park.
A uniformed garda in an unmarked car, Garda C, told Dublin Coroner’s Court he kicked the car in a bid to gain access as he witnessed Mark Hennessy insert a Stanley knife into his forearm.
The manoeuvre, described in court as an “impressive karate kick” failed to break the driver’s window and just 3.3 seconds later, the fatal shot was fired.
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The shot was discharged by Garda A, the most senior of the three gardaí at the scene.
Mark Hennessy slumped over the passenger seat. He was removed from the car and placed on the ground as gardaí searched the vehicle for the missing Filipina student. The only item found was a bottle of Jack Daniels.
The two unmarked Garda cars involved were conducting searches of car parks and lay-bys within a five-mile radius of Bray in the search for Jastine, who had been abducted 24 hours earlier.
They were directed in to the car park, to Mark Hennessy’s vehicle by Christine Connolly, who recognised the registration after reading a news item and called 999.
Mr Hennessy was behind the wheel as gardaí approached, his window was down, he was moving slowly.
“I shouted, stop the car, he didn’t respond,” Garda C said.
“My sole intention was to get him out of the car, with no access to be able to drive it away from us.
“My first attempt was to open the door, which was locked. Immediately on trying the door and looking in, I saw him hold up the Stanley knife. He was looking straight at me and the knife went into the forearm,” Garda C said.
“My instinct was to put the boot to the vehicle, he was self-harming right in front of me, and it was purely instinctual to kick the window.
“I became aware of Garda A to my right. He was trying the door. It was locked. Then I became aware of the firearm in my peripheral vision,” Garda C said.
“I heard a crack from the firearm and could see a hole in the window and Mr Hennessy slumping over in the vehicle.”
Garda C took the key fob from the ignition and used it to unlock the car.
He put out a radio message, seeking urgent assistance noting that shots had been fired by gardaí.
Garda C was the observer in a vehicle driven by his colleague, Garda B. Garda A was the sole occupant of the second unmarked car at the scene.
Three members of the Civil Defence watched the events from their truck. They had blocked off the entrance to the car park after Mark Hennessy drove in. They moved their vehicle to the front of the Nissan Qashqai.
All three had received a text at 5.05pm that evening requesting assistance in the search for Jastine Valdez.
Volunteer James Magee said he had an unobstructed view of events.
“He [Mark Hennessy] took his hands off the wheel and made a shrug motion. Possibly at us, possibly at gardaí,” he said.
“I recall the gardaí were trying to open the door, they were shouting ‘open the door’ and another voice said smash the window. I saw a garda raise a karate kick at the driver’s window but it did not break. The driver looked as if he knew everything was over for him,” Mr Magee said.
“He took a blade, about 10cm and cut from his left wrist to elbow in one single slicing motion.”
He saw one of the gardaí approach the driver’s side door.
“He was about a yard or two away when he was taking the gun out of his holster.”
Mr Magee saw the garda raise a revolver to shoulder height and fire through the window.
He said the time between the arrival of gardaí at the scene and the discharge of the firearm was four to five minutes.
Hennessy was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.38pm.
Senior Investigating Officer Det Supt Frank Heeneghan said he took the decision to issue the registration of the Nissan Qashqai at a press conference three hours earlier at 5.30pm. It was this information, published in the media, which led Christine Connolly to recognise the registration of the Nissan Qashqai, follow the car driven by Mark Hennessy and alert emergency services to his location.
“Every available car, jeep, whatever we had we deployed in the hope of recovering Jastine,” Det Supt Keeneghan said.
The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday to hear further evidence.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Yacht captain guilty of drunk sailing had ‘God given right’ to be on Liffey

A yacht captain has been found guilty of being drunk while erratically sailing a pleasure boat in Dublin Port shipping lane .
Dublin Fire Brigade and RNLI lifeboats were called out to deal with an incident on the Liffey at Dublin Port that commenced at about 6am on June 1st , 2017 .
The sailors on a small 26ft ( 8m ) quarter tonne pleasure craft named the Peja refused to get out of the shipping lane and delayed the approach of the 90m Corinthian , a 4,000-tonne cruiseliner , Dublin District Court heard .
During the trial , evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on the water to deal with the situation but were allegedly told to “ f*** off ” .
The yacht skipper had insisted it was his “ God-given right ” to sail his vessel on the Liffey , while his co-accused stripped off when he made landfall on the city quays and was arrested naked .
The episode started after the small yacht left its mooring at a south Dublin bank sailing club .
After a couple of hours , the vessel , which had an outboard engine , was brought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Quay while its owner was taken to Poolbeg marina at about 8.20am .
Boat owner and yacht club member Brian Stacey ( 46 ) , of Derry Drive , Crumlin , and co-defendant Ronan Stephens ( 42 ) , a former motorbike racer from Captain ’ s Road , also in Crumlin , face charges under the Maritime Safety Act .
They deny careless sailing , operating a vessel while intoxicated and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at the shipping lane on the River Liffey .
After a four-day non-jury trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date to resume the case and to consider the verdict , Judge John Hughes found them guilty .
They will be sentenced next week .
Giving evidence , yacht captain Mr Stacey had told the court he and friends had gone for a river trip early that morning .
There was no alcohol on board and he could not remember the last time he had an alcoholic drink , he said .
Questioned about CCTV showing him drinking from bottles , he denied Garda evidence that they contained beer and claimed they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He denied claims he used profanities and told the court , “ I told them it was my God-given right to sail down the Liffey if I feel like it.
” He said he was not the sort of person that cursed .
“ I don ’ t believe what goes into my mouth defiles the body , it ’ s what comes out the mouth that defiles the body , that is why I look after the hygiene in my mouth , ” he said .
Asked why he was seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point when he moored , he said he was cleaning out rubbish from his boat .
The co-accused , Mr Stephens , said he had to dock the boat when his friend switched over to the harbourmaster ’ s vessel .
Mr Stephens said he had never operated a motor boat before and was obeying his co-accused ’ s instruction because he was the captain .
CCTV evidence showed him being helped onto the quays , where he removed all his clothing .
Mr Stephens said he did that because there were armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not want to be shot .
He had to be helped because he suffered from arthritis .
He also said he did not drink during the day-time .

Brian Stacey (46) said he was not the sort of person that cursed. “I don’t believe what goes into my mouth defiles the body, it’s what comes out the mouth that defiles the body.” Photograph: Collins Courts
A yacht captain has been found guilty of being drunk while erratically sailing a pleasure boat in Dublin Port shipping lane.
Dublin Fire Brigade and RNLI lifeboats were called out to deal with an incident on the Liffey at Dublin Port that commenced at about 6am on June 1st, 2017.
The sailors on a small 26ft (8m) quarter tonne pleasure craft named the Peja refused to get out of the shipping lane and delayed the approach of the 90m Corinthian, a 4,000-tonne cruiseliner, Dublin District Court heard.
During the trial, evidence was given that gardaí were also brought out on the water to deal with the situation but were allegedly told to “f*** off”.
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The yacht skipper had insisted it was his “God-given right” to sail his vessel on the Liffey, while his co-accused stripped off when he made landfall on the city quays and was arrested naked.
The episode started after the small yacht left its mooring at a south Dublin bank sailing club. After a couple of hours, the vessel, which had an outboard engine, was brought to a halt at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay while its owner was taken to Poolbeg marina at about 8.20am.
Boat owner and yacht club member Brian Stacey (46), of Derry Drive, Crumlin, and co-defendant Ronan Stephens (42), a former motorbike racer from Captain’s Road, also in Crumlin, face charges under the Maritime Safety Act.
CCTV evidence showed Ronan Stephens being helped onto the quays where he removed all his clothing. Photograph: Collins Courts
They deny careless sailing, operating a vessel while intoxicated and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at the shipping lane on the River Liffey.
After a four-day non-jury trial and a five-week adjournment to find a date to resume the case and to consider the verdict, Judge John Hughes found them guilty. They will be sentenced next week.
Giving evidence, yacht captain Mr Stacey had told the court he and friends had gone for a river trip early that morning. There was no alcohol on board and he could not remember the last time he had an alcoholic drink, he said.
Foreign water bottles
Questioned about CCTV showing him drinking from bottles, he denied Garda evidence that they contained beer and claimed they were a foreign brand of glass water bottles.
He denied claims he used profanities and told the court, “I told them it was my God-given right to sail down the Liffey if I feel like it.”
He said he was not the sort of person that cursed. “I don’t believe what goes into my mouth defiles the body, it’s what comes out the mouth that defiles the body, that is why I look after the hygiene in my mouth,” he said.
Asked why he was seen removing a number of bottles at one point when he moored, he said he was cleaning out rubbish from his boat.
The co-accused, Mr Stephens, said he had to dock the boat when his friend switched over to the harbourmaster’s vessel. Mr Stephens said he had never operated a motor boat before and was obeying his co-accused’s instruction because he was the captain.
CCTV evidence showed him being helped onto the quays, where he removed all his clothing.
Mr Stephens said he did that because there were armed gardaí waiting and he was anxious and did not want to be shot. He had to be helped because he suffered from arthritis. He also said he did not drink during the day-time.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Man shot at in taxi claims bail conditions made him ‘sitting duck’

A man who was shot at in a taxi last week and who claimed his bail conditions made him a “ sitting duck ” for attack has failed in his bid to be released from custody again on bail .
The man , who is in his 20s and can not be named for legal reasons , was arrested on foot of a warrant on Sunday and had been in custody since then after initially being granted bail last May .
On Tuesday the High Court heard that strict conditions were set out when he was granted bail last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a specific address , adhere to a curfew , sign on twice daily at the same Garda station and be available to the Garda by mobile phone .
Since his bail was granted almost eight months ago he had breached his bail conditions 41 times .
After being shot at last Monday while in a taxi he ran to the Garda station but then had failed to sign on for several days .
He claimed in court that the breaches of his bail were restrictive and made him an easier target for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaches of his bail to the fact he had been “ chopping and changing ” his routine .
He argued before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon of the High Court that while his bail conditions were restrictive and did not allow him vary his routine , he had been warned by the Garda that his life was in danger and that he should vary his daily routine for his own safety .
He further stated , in evidence he gave to the court himself and in representations on his behalf by Lily Buckley BL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he must reside at a stated address gardaí had told him that he must not return to that house because being there posed a risk to his life .
However , Ms Justice Creedon said it was clear bail conditions had been repeatedly breached and that revocation of the bail granted last May was warranted .
She remanded the man in custody to appear before Drogheda District Court on Friday , January 24th .
He faces charges of criminal damage and possession of a stolen vehicle and the bail that has now been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him in relation to those charges on May 24th , 2019 .
The man wanted to be freed from custody on bail and also told the High Court on Tuesday that if the conditions of the bail were made less restrictive he could comply with them and also vary his routine for safety purposes .
He believed that would be possible if he was permitted to reside at a choice of two addresses , if he could sign on at his choice of two Garda stations and was permitted to sign on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily .
He had been given an official warning last April by the Garda that his life was in danger .
He said he had also been told several times since then that his life was in danger .
“ If it was once a day and maybe [ a choice of ] two Garda stations , I would be less predictable , ” the man told the High Court on Tuesday of new signing on conditions it might set down in granting him bail .
“ If I could have two [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predictable , ” he suggested .
“ It ’ s unfair to punish me for taking the precautions I was told to take , ” he added in reference to his view that the bail conditions set down last May were at odds with the advice he had been given to vary his routine because his life was in danger .
He suggested that being shot at while in a taxi arose because his bail conditions were so restrictive his movements were predictable .
“ I need to be less predictable , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out too much , ” he said , adding he could not even take a taxi now after what had happened last week .
He argued his “ hands had been forced into this ” in relation to breaching his bail conditions and not signing on at a Garda station in the days after the effort to shoot him .
All he was asking the court was to be “ met in middle ” in being granted bail on conditions he could comply with and which would also allow him vary his movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised .
Ms Buckley , for the man , said her client would “ have to be very much a creature of habit ” if he was to comply with the bail conditions set out last May .
After evidence was heard that he was shot at last week Ms Buckley said a particular “ situation had now become very visible ” for the man .
She added that complying with the bail conditions set down last year made her client “ in effect a target , a sitting duck ” .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail conditions to him because of “ the unprecedented circumstances that had arisen ” .
While the court was told the man had “ ballistic glass ” – bullet proof glass – at the property his bail conditions specified he must reside at , even coming to the window to investigate calls to the door late at night or the early hours of the morning represented a danger .
Ms Buckley suggested that was why on some occasions when gardaí called to the property to ensure he was complying with the residency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May nobody answered the calls to the door .
Her client was arrested on Sunday on foot of a bench warrant granted to gardaí last Thursday allowing for him to be arrested and taken before the courts due to the breaches of his bail .
The warrant was executed at the Central Criminal Court on Monday and the man was remanded in custody .
He appeared on Tuesday before the High Court which said the revocation of his bail was justified despite the man ’ s plea to be granted bail again , @ @ @ @ @ @

A man who was shot at in a taxi last week and who claimed his bail conditions made him a “sitting duck” for attack has failed in his bid to be released from custody again on bail.
The man, who is in his 20s and cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on foot of a warrant on Sunday and had been in custody since then after initially being granted bail last May.
On Tuesday the High Court heard that strict conditions were set out when he was granted bail last year. These included that he must reside at a specific address, adhere to a curfew, sign on twice daily at the same Garda station and be available to the Garda by mobile phone. Since his bail was granted almost eight months ago he had breached his bail conditions 41 times.
After being shot at last Monday while in a taxi he ran to the Garda station but then had failed to sign on for several days. He claimed in court that the breaches of his bail were restrictive and made him an easier target for attack. The man also attributed the breaches of his bail to the fact he had been “chopping and changing” his routine.
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He argued before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon of the High Court that while his bail conditions were restrictive and did not allow him vary his routine, he had been warned by the Garda that his life was in danger and that he should vary his daily routine for his own safety.
He further stated, in evidence he gave to the court himself and in representations on his behalf by Lily Buckley BL, that while his bail conditions specified he must reside at a stated address gardaí had told him that he must not return to that house because being there posed a risk to his life.
However, Ms Justice Creedon said it was clear bail conditions had been repeatedly breached and that revocation of the bail granted last May was warranted. She remanded the man in custody to appear before Drogheda District Court on Friday, January 24th.
He faces charges of criminal damage and possession of a stolen vehicle and the bail that has now been revoked by the High Court was granted to him in relation to those charges on May 24th, 2019.
The man wanted to be freed from custody on bail and also told the High Court on Tuesday that if the conditions of the bail were made less restrictive he could comply with them and also vary his routine for safety purposes.
He believed that would be possible if he was permitted to reside at a choice of two addresses, if he could sign on at his choice of two Garda stations and was permitted to sign on at either station once rather than twice daily. He had been given an official warning last April by the Garda that his life was in danger.
He said he had also been told several times since then that his life was in danger. “If it was once a day and maybe [a choice of] two Garda stations, I would be less predictable,” the man told the High Court on Tuesday of new signing on conditions it might set down in granting him bail. “If I could have two [specified] addresses it would be less predictable,” he suggested. “It’s unfair to punish me for taking the precautions I was told to take,” he added in reference to his view that the bail conditions set down last May were at odds with the advice he had been given to vary his routine because his life was in danger.
He suggested that being shot at while in a taxi arose because his bail conditions were so restrictive his movements were predictable.
“I need to be less predictable, I can’t be showing my face out too much,” he said, adding he could not even take a taxi now after what had happened last week. He argued his “hands had been forced into this” in relation to breaching his bail conditions and not signing on at a Garda station in the days after the effort to shoot him.
All he was asking the court was to be “met in middle” in being granted bail on conditions he could comply with and which would also allow him vary his movements for his own safety as gardaí had advised.
Ms Buckley, for the man, said her client would “have to be very much a creature of habit” if he was to comply with the bail conditions set out last May. After evidence was heard that he was shot at last week Ms Buckley said a particular “situation had now become very visible” for the man.
She added that complying with the bail conditions set down last year made her client “in effect a target, a sitting duck”.
She urged the court to grant more flexible bail conditions to him because of “the unprecedented circumstances that had arisen”.
While the court was told the man had “ballistic glass” – bullet proof glass – at the property his bail conditions specified he must reside at, even coming to the window to investigate calls to the door late at night or the early hours of the morning represented a danger. Ms Buckley suggested that was why on some occasions when gardaí called to the property to ensure he was complying with the residency and curfew conditions of the bail granted last May nobody answered the calls to the door.
Her client was arrested on Sunday on foot of a bench warrant granted to gardaí last Thursday allowing for him to be arrested and taken before the courts due to the breaches of his bail. The warrant was executed at the Central Criminal Court on Monday and the man was remanded in custody. He appeared on Tuesday before the High Court which said the revocation of his bail was justified despite the man’s plea to be granted bail again, and on less restrictive conditions.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Gay man awarded €27,000 for harassment over his sexual orientation

A gay man who was described as a “ f****t ” by a work colleague has been awarded €27,000 over being continually harassed in the workplace on the grounds of his sexual orientation .
At the Workplace Relations Commission ( WRC ) , the man stated in evidence that a co-worker told another worker the complainant “ is a f****t ” and went on to say “ I better not sit beside him , or I ’ ll catch the gayness from him ” .
The complainant said the comments were aimed at him on a daily fashion and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made in his company , all of which made him feel under threat and humiliated .
He said it was well known in the company that he was gay , and he suffered direct discrimination as a result of his sexual orientation .
The complainant stated that the co-worker and a team leader repeatedly laughed and sniggered into his face and made disparaging remarks about him including comments about his social media account which included him and his partner .
The man alleged he was regularly and repeatedly subjected to homophobic abuse and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis of his sexuality .
The man worked as a scheduler for an installation provider and he told the WRC that he was in constant fear and worry at work .
He said the work environment for him was the most hostile he ever worked in .
The man – who started working at the company in September 2017 – alleged he suffered continually at the hands of a team leader and others who allegedly explicitly referenced and ridiculed him about his sexual orientation .
The complainant said his team leader intervened and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the complainant contended the manner of the operations manager ’ s investigation of his complaints of harassment was disastrous .
WRC adjudication officer , James Kelly said he found the complainant ’ s evidence “ to be very credible ” and that the employer had discriminated against the man on the grounds of his sexual orientation and that complainant had been harassed .
Mr Kelly stated that the events described have been corroborated for a large part by a female co-worker .
The female co-worker told the WRC that she tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even gave evidence in an interview with the operation manager of what she had seen and heard .
Mr Kelly stated that the unwanted conduct at the workplace relating to the complainant ’ s sexual orientation “ had the purpose and effect of violating his dignity ” .
Mr Kelly stated : “ It has without doubt created an intense , hostile , humiliating and offensive environment for him in the workplace .
It had a great burden on his physical and mental health where he was hospitalised.
” Mr Kelly stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case that he was harassed in the workplace on the grounds of his sexual orientation .
Mr Kelly said the employer has not mounted a defence that it took steps to prevent the harassment and is therefore liable for the harassment suffered by the complainant .
A representative for the company was in attendance at the WRC hearing and stated that the particular office that the complainant had worked in had closed down and all the staff had moved on .
The company stated that it held no records on the allegations or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complainant .
The company stated that was not in a position to rebut the allegations raised against it by the complainant .
Mr Kelly said the €27,000 award , to be paid by the employer , is the equivalent of 18 months gross pay for the sustained distress suffered by the complainant and the effects of the discrimination and harassment on him and his health .

A gay man who was described as a “f****t” by a work colleague has been awarded €27,000 over being continually harassed in the workplace on the grounds of his sexual orientation.
At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), the man stated in evidence that a co-worker told another worker the complainant "is a f****t" and went on to say "I better not sit beside him, or I'll catch the gayness from him".
The complainant said the comments were aimed at him on a daily fashion and there was constant sniggering and juvenile stereotypical references made in his company, all of which made him feel under threat and humiliated.
He said it was well known in the company that he was gay, and he suffered direct discrimination as a result of his sexual orientation.
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The complainant stated that the co-worker and a team leader repeatedly laughed and sniggered into his face and made disparaging remarks about him including comments about his social media account which included him and his partner.
The man alleged he was regularly and repeatedly subjected to homophobic abuse and was harassed and discriminated against on the basis of his sexuality.
The man worked as a scheduler for an installation provider and he told the WRC that he was in constant fear and worry at work.
He said the work environment for him was the most hostile he ever worked in.
The man – who started working at the company in September 2017 – alleged he suffered continually at the hands of a team leader and others who allegedly explicitly referenced and ridiculed him about his sexual orientation.
The complainant said his team leader intervened and defended him on many occasions.
However, the complainant contended the manner of the operations manager’s investigation of his complaints of harassment was disastrous.
WRC adjudication officer, James Kelly said he found the complainant’s evidence “to be very credible” and that the employer had discriminated against the man on the grounds of his sexual orientation and that complainant had been harassed.
Mr Kelly stated that the events described have been corroborated for a large part by a female co-worker.
The female co-worker told the WRC that she tried to support the complainant throughout the process and even gave evidence in an interview with the operation manager of what she had seen and heard.
Mr Kelly stated that the unwanted conduct at the workplace relating to the complainant’s sexual orientation “had the purpose and effect of violating his dignity”.
Mr Kelly stated: “It has without doubt created an intense, hostile, humiliating and offensive environment for him in the workplace. It had a great burden on his physical and mental health where he was hospitalised.”
Mr Kelly stated that the complainant has established a prima facie case that he was harassed in the workplace on the grounds of his sexual orientation.
Mr Kelly said the employer has not mounted a defence that it took steps to prevent the harassment and is therefore liable for the harassment suffered by the complainant.
A representative for the company was in attendance at the WRC hearing and stated that the particular office that the complainant had worked in had closed down and all the staff had moved on.
The company stated that it held no records on the allegations or statements from the relevant people cited by the complainant.
The company stated that was not in a position to rebut the allegations raised against it by the complainant.
Mr Kelly said the €27,000 award, to be paid by the employer, is the equivalent of 18 months gross pay for the sustained distress suffered by the complainant and the effects of the discrimination and harassment on him and his health.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--HSE disputes extent of damages sought over pregnant woman kept on life support

The family of a brain-dead pregnant woman kept on life support for almost four weeks due to concerns about the Eighth Amendment are seeking some €3.3 million damages from the HSE over her death .
The State Claims Agency , which is managing the case for the HSE , disputes the extent of damages sought .
More than €3.1 million is for future costs of care and appropriate accommodation for 26-year-old Natasha Perie ’ s two young children , now aged 11 and nine , including the cost of full time live-in nannies for both until they reach the age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counselling .
The remainder is for some €184,000 for Ms Perie ’ s father , Peter Perie , for loss of dependency .
At the time of their mother ’ s death in late 2014 , both children were living with her and Mr Perie , a 67-year-old widower , in his four-bedroom home where they were described as “ happy and content ” .
The children have different fathers and , after Ms Perie ’ s death , the children went to live with their respective fathers in accommodation not owned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy on Tuesday for assessment of damages after a mediation failed to secure agreement on damages .
During the hearing , the judge and Adrienne Egan SC , for the HSE , expressed sympathy to the family over the death of Ms Perie .
The family had last November received an apology from the Midland Regional Hospital , Mullingar , and the HSE over failings in Ms Perie ’ s care at the hospital in late 2014 .
She was pronounced brain-dead days after her admission there on November 27th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life support , against the family ’ s wishes , due to doctors ’ concerns about the implications of the Eighth Amendment , since repealed .
The family ultimately secured High Court orders on December 26th , 2014 ending the somatic support after the court held the only prospect for the unborn was “ distress and death ” .
Ms Perie , described as having a rotting brain and open infected head wound , was buried afterwards in a closed coffin .
Her father and six other family members previously settled nervous shock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her daughter who was described as “ horrified ” when , then aged six , she saw her mother in a deteriorating condition on life support .
A nervous shock claim was not pursued for her son as he was aged just four at the time of his mother ’ s death .
The larger aspect of the family ’ s claim was for damages over fatal injury .
The HSE earlier last year accepted liability in that regard and accepted Ms Perie ’ s death was caused by failure to diagnose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain-dead days after her admission to the hospital on November 27th , 2014 , having complained of severe headaches on a number of occasions .
On Tuesday , Denis McCullough SC , instructed by Gillian O ’ Connor , of Michael Boylan Litigation , told Ms Justice Murphy that both children , on the advice of a hospital social worker , were brought in to see their mother on life support and this was particularly traumatising for them .
Her daughter was also present when the life support was withdrawn .
A 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl as having experienced “ harrowing emotional difficulties ” , he said .
He said the girl now lives with her father in rented council accommodation while the boy lives with his father in a house owned by the latter ’ s partner .
Their case was that both children needed their own homes or funds for appropriate rented accommodation until they reach the age of 23 .
In evidence , Peter Perie described both fathers as loving fathers of their children and said he is now satisfied with access by himself and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his evidence , the girl ’ s father said she was very affected by her mother ’ s death .
“ I know she ’ s hurting , the whole thing has broken her.
” He said his rented council accommodation in an area with anti-social behaviour is inadequate for her needs and believed she would be happier in a house with a garden in an area where she can safely play on the street .

The family of a brain-dead pregnant woman kept on life support for almost four weeks due to concerns about the Eighth Amendment are seeking some €3.3 million damages from the HSE over her death.
The State Claims Agency, which is managing the case for the HSE, disputes the extent of damages sought.
More than €3.1 million is for future costs of care and appropriate accommodation for 26-year-old Natasha Perie’s two young children, now aged 11 and nine, including the cost of full time live-in nannies for both until they reach the age of 23, plus for education and counselling.
The remainder is for some €184,000 for Ms Perie’s father, Peter Perie, for loss of dependency.
READ MORE
At the time of their mother’s death in late 2014, both children were living with her and Mr Perie, a 67-year-old widower, in his four-bedroom home where they were described as “happy and content”.
The children have different fathers and, after Ms Perie’s death, the children went to live with their respective fathers in accommodation not owned by the fathers.
A hearing opened before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy on Tuesday for assessment of damages after a mediation failed to secure agreement on damages.
During the hearing, the judge and Adrienne Egan SC, for the HSE, expressed sympathy to the family over the death of Ms Perie.
The family had last November received an apology from the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, and the HSE over failings in Ms Perie’s care at the hospital in late 2014.
She was pronounced brain-dead days after her admission there on November 27th, 2014 but was afterwards kept on life support, against the family’s wishes, due to doctors’ concerns about the implications of the Eighth Amendment, since repealed.
The family ultimately secured High Court orders on December 26th, 2014 ending the somatic support after the court held the only prospect for the unborn was “distress and death”.
Ms Perie, described as having a rotting brain and open infected head wound, was buried afterwards in a closed coffin.
Her father and six other family members previously settled nervous shock claims, including a €150,000 payment for her daughter who was described as “horrified” when, then aged six, she saw her mother in a deteriorating condition on life support.
A nervous shock claim was not pursued for her son as he was aged just four at the time of his mother’s death.
The larger aspect of the family’s claim was for damages over fatal injury.
The HSE earlier last year accepted liability in that regard and accepted Ms Perie’s death was caused by failure to diagnose a brain cyst which ruptured, leaving her brain-dead days after her admission to the hospital on November 27th, 2014, having complained of severe headaches on a number of occasions.
On Tuesday, Denis McCullough SC, instructed by Gillian O’Connor, of Michael Boylan Litigation, told Ms Justice Murphy that both children, on the advice of a hospital social worker, were brought in to see their mother on life support and this was particularly traumatising for them.
Her daughter was also present when the life support was withdrawn.
A 2017 report by a child psychologist described the girl as having experienced “harrowing emotional difficulties”, he said.
He said the girl now lives with her father in rented council accommodation while the boy lives with his father in a house owned by the latter’s partner.
Their case was that both children needed their own homes or funds for appropriate rented accommodation until they reach the age of 23.
In evidence, Peter Perie described both fathers as loving fathers of their children and said he is now satisfied with access by himself and his extended family to the children.
In his evidence, the girl’s father said she was very affected by her mother’s death. “I know she’s hurting, the whole thing has broken her.”
He said his rented council accommodation in an area with anti-social behaviour is inadequate for her needs and believed she would be happier in a house with a garden in an area where she can safely play on the street.
The hearing continues on Wednesday.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Rape trial finishes following death of the accused

The trial of a man accused of raping a woman he met in a nightclub has ended following his death .
The 29-year-old accused had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping and sexually assaulting a woman at his then address in Dublin on December 23rd , 2016 .
On the sixth day of the trial on Tuesday , Mr Justice Alex Owens told the jury that the defendant had not attended court on the previous day and that inquiries were made .
He said that he regretted to say that the accused man is dead .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jury to further consider the trial or arrive at a verdict .
The judge said this was “ an illustration of how stressful these cases can be ” for the witnesses , accused , counsel and jury .
He said the identities of those in the trial remain “ undisclosable ” and that remains the position as the jury has not reached a verdict .
During the trial , the complainant told Caroline Biggs SC , prosecuting , that on the night in question she was socialising in Copper Face Jacks nightclub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man for the first time .
The woman , who is in her 20s , said that the accused man asked if she wanted to leave the nightclub with him and she agreed .
She said they got a taxi together and arrived at his home in the early hours of the morning .
She said they began to have consensual sex in his bedroom .
She said that during the sex he put his hands around her throat and began to choke her .
The woman said he was on top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said she asked him to stop and he did not stop .
She said she was squirming , resisting , saying no and asked him to stop up to 10 times .
She said he was spitting on her and said he was “ going to f**k you all night ” when she asked him to stop .
The woman said she brought the soles of her feet up to his chest and kicked him off of her .
She said she noticed blood on the sheets which was not period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said she told him that “ no means no ” .
She said he replied “ but you came back to my house ” and she replied that was not a “ blank cheque ” .
The woman said that she left the house and was bleeding for about a week after the alleged incident .
She said that she reported the alleged incident to gardaí on December 29th , 2016 .
The court heard that when interviewed by gardaí , the accused man denied the offences and described fully consensual @ @

The trial of a man accused of raping a woman he met in a nightclub has ended following his death.
The 29-year-old accused had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping and sexually assaulting a woman at his then address in Dublin on December 23rd, 2016.
On the sixth day of the trial on Tuesday , Mr Justice Alex Owens told the jury that the defendant had not attended court on the previous day and that inquiries were made.
He said that he regretted to say that the accused man is dead. He said it was not necessary for the jury to further consider the trial or arrive at a verdict.
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The judge said this was “an illustration of how stressful these cases can be” for the witnesses, accused, counsel and jury. He said the identities of those in the trial remain “undisclosable” and that remains the position as the jury has not reached a verdict.
During the trial, the complainant told Caroline Biggs SC, prosecuting, that on the night in question she was socialising in Copper Face Jacks nightclub in Dublin when she met the accused man for the first time.
The woman, who is in her 20s, said that the accused man asked if she wanted to leave the nightclub with him and she agreed. She said they got a taxi together and arrived at his home in the early hours of the morning.
She said they began to have consensual sex in his bedroom. She said that during the sex he put his hands around her throat and began to choke her.
‘No means no’
The woman said he was on top of her and she was struggling to breathe. She said she asked him to stop and he did not stop.
She said she was squirming, resisting, saying no and asked him to stop up to 10 times. She said he was spitting on her and said he was “going to f**k you all night” when she asked him to stop.
The woman said she brought the soles of her feet up to his chest and kicked him off of her. She said she noticed blood on the sheets which was not period blood and that she was in pain.
She said she told him that “no means no”. She said he replied “but you came back to my house” and she replied that was not a “blank cheque”.
The woman said that she left the house and was bleeding for about a week after the alleged incident. She said that she reported the alleged incident to gardaí on December 29th, 2016.
The court heard that when interviewed by gardaí, the accused man denied the offences and described fully consensual activity.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Murder accused told gardaí he cut up woman’s body to make her lighter

A murder accused described to gardaí how he cut up the body of his partner ’ s mother beside a shallow grave “ to make her lighter ” , before he packed the parts of her body into black bags .
He said her arms were the “ hardest part ” and he “ spewed ” a few times , the Central Criminal Court has heard .
Father-of-three Kieran Greene also told gardaí that retired hospital worker Patricia O ’ Connor was “ verbally abusive ” to his family on a “ constant basis ” and had threatened to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard that Mr Greene walked into a Garda station and told a detective that he had done “ something terrible ” and had scattered the body parts of Mrs O ’ Connor in the Dublin mountains .
A garda witness said Mr Greene told her : “ I cut them up and threw them all over the place up there.
” The jury heard voluntary statementson Tuesday made by Mr Greene ( 34 ) to gardaí at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 12th and 13th , 2017 .
He has pleaded not guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61 ) at her home in Mountainview Park , Rathfarnham , Dublin 14 on May 29th , 2017 .
The court has heard that the body of Mrs O ’ Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th , 2017 .
Evidence has been given that the results of a post-mortem examination confirmed she suffered a “ violent death ” .
Garda PJ Foley told prosecution counsel Roisin Lacey SC that he noticed a man “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now knew to be Mr Greene , sitting alone in the waiting room of Rathfarnham Garda station at 7.15pm on June 12th , 2017 .
Garda Foley said Mr Greene came to the front desk of the station and said he wanted to speak to someone in charge .
“ He told me the body up the mountains was that of Patricia O ’ Connor and he had a physical altercation with her , whereby she hit him with a hurl , ” continued the witness .
Mr Greene said he had reacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she fell back and there was blood everywhere , said Garda Foley .
The witness said the accused man told him it happened outside the bathroom of the house and he took Mrs O ’ Connor up the mountains once he saw that her body was unresponsive .
Det Sgt Lucy Myles told Ms Lacey that she was the member in charge at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 12th and was made aware Mr Greene wanted to speak to someone about what was found in the Dublin mountains .
“ He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Det Sgt Myles , adding that she took a very detailed entry in her notebook .
“ He stated ‘ the stuff up the mountains was me ’ , ” she said .
Det Sgt Myles said she asked Mr Greene what he meant by “ the stuff ” and he replied : “ The body parts scattered in the Dublin mountains , I cut them up and threw them all over the place up there.
” “ He then went on to say he had blackened out and didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the mountains , ” said Det Sgt Myles , adding that she immediately cautioned Mr Greene .
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he had cut up his mother-in-law Patricia O ’ Connor but said she was not officially his mother-in-law .
“ I ’ m with her daughter 10 or 11 years and we have three kids together , ” he said .
The witness said Mr Greene handed her a set of keys to a Toyota car and told her this was the car he had used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Det Sgt Myles testified that she had asked Mr Greene why he killed her and he replied : “ I was getting out of the shower when she came in and she started shouting and screaming at me .
She then picked up one of the kids hurls outside the bathroom door and started hitting me .
I grabbed it and hit her back .
Next thing I remember is coming around and she was lying on floor with blood everywhere.
” The witness said Mr Greene said he put her in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a shallow grave in Wexford .
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene explained he had panicked a few days later and went back to dig and cut her up before scattering her “ all over the Dublin mountains.
” The witness said she then brought Mr Greene into the interview room at 7.45pm and took a voluntary cautioned memo from him .
The witness said Mr Greene was “ very fidgety but coherent ” and told her he wanted to tell her “ all about it ” .
Mr Greene told gardaí @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ felt terrible ” about what he did , she said .
The witness said Mr Greene told her that he and Mrs O ’ Connor had been “ fighting over a cat ” and she later stormed out of the house .
He said Louise O ’ Connor and the children had gone to bed as they were trying to avoid her and Mrs O ’ Connor returned to the house around midnight .
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he was in the bathroom at the time and Mrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hit him with it on the wrist saying “ Get out , Get out ” .
The witness said Mr Greene grabbed the hurl from her , hit her and didn ’ t know want happened next as when he woke up there was blood everywhere and he panicked .
He carried her to the upstairs bedroom and a while later put her in the boot of the car , she said .
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he drove to Wexford and stopped at a farmhouse on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t dig the grave much as his ribs were sore so only dug about a foot and covered her with clay , she continued .
The witness said Mr Greene also told her he began to panic a few days later and returned to Wexford to “ cut her up ” into a few pieces using a hacksaw .
Mr Greene told the witness he “ threw everything up there in the mountains ” including his clothes and the hacksaw .
The accused also told Det Sgt Myles that he “ touched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the house and had used a mop and water to clean up the blood .
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene was very upset during the interview , was continuously rubbing his hands and there was a lot of sweat dripping from his face .
Under cross-examination from Conor Devally SC , defending Mr Greene , Det Sgt Myles agreed that the implication of Mr Greene ’ s account was that he had done all this completely on his own .
Giving evidence on Tuesday afternoon , Det Garda David Connolly told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second statement on the night of June 12th and told them what had happened “ was eating him up ” and he could not sleep and felt “ sick , weird and horrible.
” Mr Greene said he had handed himself in as he could not live with the guilt and kept seeing his children ’ s faces .
Describing the incident with the hurl again to gardaí , Mr Greene said he just remembered waking up and Mrs O ’ Connor was on her back in the bathroom with blood beside her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ bleeding miracle ” he got her upstairs to her bedroom as she was heavier than he was .
An hour later , he brought her downstairs again and put her in the boot of the car , covering her with blankets .
A third statement was taken from Mr Greene on June 13th , in which he said it had been a “ long 10 years ” and that Mrs O ’ Connor had been verbally abusive to them on a constant basis and was “ always threatening to have them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was sobbing as he drove the car past Courtown in Wexford .
He said he drove a further hour down the road before pulling up in an “ alcove ” beside a field , where he found “ a spot ” .
He said he got her out of the car and placed Mrs O ’ Connor in “ a hole ” , which he dug with his hands and a stick , before covering her up with muck .
He noticed a farmer ’ s house and shed were nearby and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that she might be found .
In another statement taken on June 13th , Mr Greene said he went back to the field around five to seven days later as he was “ panicking ” and did not want a farmer to find her or his partner to find out .
He said the plan was to wrap her in black bags and move her but he couldn ’ t as his right hand side was throbbing from where Mrs O ’ Connor had hit him .
“ I decided I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lighter , ” Mr Greene told gardaí , adding that he started with her legs and then her arms , which he said “ was the hardest parts.
” He said he then moved onto her head and “ spewed ” a few times before he came to the torso .
He packed the body parts into around six black bags and loaded them into the car .
“ I filled in where she was buried .
At this stage I didn ’ t know what I was going to do , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag into a ditch past the Hell Fire Club by ripping the bag from the bottom , adding that he did not know what body part this was .
Around 10 to 15 minutes later , he did the same thing with another bag .
In total , he said he stopped the car around five or six times along the way and also got rid of his clothes , the boot liner , the hacksaw and hurl .
He said he got back into the car and sobbed .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was free from he said “ all the torment and pain ” she had caused .
On June 13th , Det Gda Connolly testified that Mr Greene directed gardaí to the location in Wexford to show them where Mrs O ’ Connor had been buried .
After passing through Kilmuckridge , Mr Greene said “ not too far now ” and indicated a gateway on the side of the road , said the witness .
Det Gda Connolly said he asked Mr Greene to wait at the gate and they walked into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The scene we were looking at was consistent with what Mr Greene said happened at that place , ” he said , adding that he could see “ light brown hair ” in the shallow grave .
Mr Greene was arrested for murdering Mrs O ’ Connor at 7.30pm that night .
The deceased ’ s daughter Louise O ’ Connor ( 41 ) and granddaughter Stephanie O ’ Connor ( 22 ) , both of Millmount Court , Dundrum Road , Dublin 14 , and Louise O ’ Connor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of Avonbeg Gardens , Tallaght , Dublin 24 are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr Greene , knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence , to wit the murder of Mrs O ’ Connor on May 29th , 2017 .
Louise O ’ Connor has pleaded not guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O ’ Connor disguising herself as Patricia O ’ Connor at Mountainview Park , Rathfarnham , Dublin 14 on May 29th , 2017 in order to conceal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead .
Mr Johnston has pleaded not guilty to assisting Mr Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie ’ s , Mr Price , B & Q and Shoe Zone , Tallaght , Dublin 24 on June 9th , 2017 , which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O ’ Connor .
Mr Johnston also denies engaging in the refurbishment of a bathroom at Mountainview Park , Rathfarnham , Dublin 14 between May 31st , 2017 and June 9th , 2017 , in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murder of Mrs O ’ Connor .
Stephanie O ’ Connor has pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as Mrs O ’ Connor at Mountainview Park , Rathfarnham , Dublin 14 at a point in time after her murder on May 29th , 2017 in order to conceal the fact that she was already dead .
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women .

Det Sgt Lucy Myles said she took a very detailed entry in her notebook. “He stated ‘the stuff up the mountains was me’,” she told the court. Photograph: Collins Courts
A murder accused described to gardaí how he cut up the body of his partner’s mother beside a shallow grave “to make her lighter”, before he packed the parts of her body into black bags. He said her arms were the “hardest part” and he “spewed” a few times, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Father-of-three Kieran Greene also told gardaí that retired hospital worker Patricia O’Connor was “verbally abusive” to his family on a “constant basis” and had threatened to have them killed.
Earlier, the jury heard that Mr Greene walked into a Garda station and told a detective that he had done “something terrible” and had scattered the body parts of Mrs O’Connor in the Dublin mountains.
A garda witness said Mr Greene told her: “I cut them up and threw them all over the place up there.”
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The jury heard voluntary statementson Tuesday made by Mr Greene (34) to gardaí at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 12th and 13th, 2017. He has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor (61) at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29th, 2017.
The court has heard that the body of Mrs O’Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th, 2017. Evidence has been given that the results of a post-mortem examination confirmed she suffered a “violent death”.
Garda PJ Foley told prosecution counsel Roisin Lacey SC that he noticed a man “of nervous disposition”, who he now knew to be Mr Greene, sitting alone in the waiting room of Rathfarnham Garda station at 7.15pm on June 12th, 2017.
Garda Foley said Mr Greene came to the front desk of the station and said he wanted to speak to someone in charge. “He told me the body up the mountains was that of Patricia O’Connor and he had a physical altercation with her, whereby she hit him with a hurl,” continued the witness.
Mr Greene said he had reacted by pushing Mrs O’Connor, she fell back and there was blood everywhere, said Garda Foley. The witness said the accused man told him it happened outside the bathroom of the house and he took Mrs O’Connor up the mountains once he saw that her body was unresponsive.
Det Sgt Lucy Myles told Ms Lacey that she was the member in charge at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 12th and was made aware Mr Greene wanted to speak to someone about what was found in the Dublin mountains. “He said he had done something terrible,” said Det Sgt Myles, adding that she took a very detailed entry in her notebook.
“He stated ‘the stuff up the mountains was me’,” she said. Det Sgt Myles said she asked Mr Greene what he meant by “the stuff” and he replied: “The body parts scattered in the Dublin mountains, I cut them up and threw them all over the place up there.”
“He then went on to say he had blackened out and didn’t know what happened but just threw them all over the mountains,” said Det Sgt Myles, adding that she immediately cautioned Mr Greene.
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he had cut up his mother-in-law Patricia O’Connor but said she was not officially his mother-in-law. “I’m with her daughter 10 or 11 years and we have three kids together,” he said.
The witness said Mr Greene handed her a set of keys to a Toyota car and told her this was the car he had used to bring “her body away”.
Det Sgt Myles testified that she had asked Mr Greene why he killed her and he replied: “I was getting out of the shower when she came in and she started shouting and screaming at me. She then picked up one of the kids hurls outside the bathroom door and started hitting me. I grabbed it and hit her back. Next thing I remember is coming around and she was lying on floor with blood everywhere.”
The witness said Mr Greene said he put her in the boot of the car and buried her in a shallow grave in Wexford. Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene explained he had panicked a few days later and went back to dig and cut her up before scattering her “all over the Dublin mountains.”
The witness said she then brought Mr Greene into the interview room at 7.45pm and took a voluntary cautioned memo from him. The witness said Mr Greene was “very fidgety but coherent” and told her he wanted to tell her “all about it”.
Mr Greene told gardaí that he handed himself in because he “felt terrible” about what he did, she said. The witness said Mr Greene told her that he and Mrs O’Connor had been “fighting over a cat” and she later stormed out of the house. He said Louise O’Connor and the children had gone to bed as they were trying to avoid her and Mrs O’Connor returned to the house around midnight. Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he was in the bathroom at the time and Mrs O’Connor picked up a hurl and hit him with it on the wrist saying “Get out, Get out”.
The witness said Mr Greene grabbed the hurl from her, hit her and didn’t know want happened next as when he woke up there was blood everywhere and he panicked. He carried her to the upstairs bedroom and a while later put her in the boot of the car, she said.
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene told her he drove to Wexford and stopped at a farmhouse on a narrow road. He said he couldn’t dig the grave much as his ribs were sore so only dug about a foot and covered her with clay, she continued.
The witness said Mr Greene also told her he began to panic a few days later and returned to Wexford to “cut her up” into a few pieces using a hacksaw.
Mr Greene told the witness he “threw everything up there in the mountains” including his clothes and the hacksaw.
The accused also told Det Sgt Myles that he “touched up” the paint in the rooms of the house and had used a mop and water to clean up the blood.
Det Sgt Myles said Mr Greene was very upset during the interview, was continuously rubbing his hands and there was a lot of sweat dripping from his face.
Under cross-examination from Conor Devally SC, defending Mr Greene, Det Sgt Myles agreed that the implication of Mr Greene’s account was that he had done all this completely on his own.
Giving evidence on Tuesday afternoon, Det Garda David Connolly told Ms Lacey that Mr Greene gave a second statement on the night of June 12th and told them what had happened “was eating him up” and he could not sleep and felt “sick, weird and horrible.”
Mr Greene said he had handed himself in as he could not live with the guilt and kept seeing his children’s faces.
Describing the incident with the hurl again to gardaí, Mr Greene said he just remembered waking up and Mrs O’Connor was on her back in the bathroom with blood beside her head. Mr Greene said it was a “bleeding miracle” he got her upstairs to her bedroom as she was heavier than he was. An hour later, he brought her downstairs again and put her in the boot of the car, covering her with blankets.
A third statement was taken from Mr Greene on June 13th, in which he said it had been a “long 10 years” and that Mrs O’Connor had been verbally abusive to them on a constant basis and was “always threatening to have them killed”.
Mr Greene told gardaí he was sobbing as he drove the car past Courtown in Wexford. He said he drove a further hour down the road before pulling up in an “alcove” beside a field, where he found “a spot”. He said he got her out of the car and placed Mrs O’Connor in “a hole”, which he dug with his hands and a stick, before covering her up with muck. He noticed a farmer’s house and shed were nearby and it was “playing on his mind” that she might be found.
In another statement taken on June 13th, Mr Greene said he went back to the field around five to seven days later as he was “panicking” and did not want a farmer to find her or his partner to find out. He said the plan was to wrap her in black bags and move her but he couldn’t as his right hand side was throbbing from where Mrs O’Connor had hit him.
“I decided I had to chop her up to make her lighter,” Mr Greene told gardaí, adding that he started with her legs and then her arms, which he said “was the hardest parts.” He said he then moved onto her head and “spewed” a few times before he came to the torso. He packed the body parts into around six black bags and loaded them into the car. “I filled in where she was buried. At this stage I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he said.
He dropped the first bag into a ditch past the Hell Fire Club by ripping the bag from the bottom, adding that he did not know what body part this was. Around 10 to 15 minutes later, he did the same thing with another bag. In total, he said he stopped the car around five or six times along the way and also got rid of his clothes, the boot liner, the hacksaw and hurl.
He said he got back into the car and sobbed. He said he was finally free. Asked what he was free from he said “all the torment and pain” she had caused.
On June 13th, Det Gda Connolly testified that Mr Greene directed gardaí to the location in Wexford to show them where Mrs O’Connor had been buried. After passing through Kilmuckridge, Mr Greene said “not too far now” and indicated a gateway on the side of the road, said the witness.
Det Gda Connolly said he asked Mr Greene to wait at the gate and they walked into a field, where he saw disturbed earth. “The scene we were looking at was consistent with what Mr Greene said happened at that place,” he said, adding that he could see “light brown hair” in the shallow grave. Mr Greene was arrested for murdering Mrs O’Connor at 7.30pm that night.
The deceased’s daughter Louise O’Connor (41) and granddaughter Stephanie O’Connor (22), both of Millmount Court, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14, and Louise O’Connor’s ex-partner Keith Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24 are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr Greene, knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence, to wit the murder of Mrs O’Connor on May 29th, 2017.
Louise O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O’Connor disguising herself as Patricia O’Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29th, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that Patricia O’Connor was dead.
Mr Johnston has pleaded not guilty to assisting Mr Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie’s, Mr Price, B&Q and Shoe Zone, Tallaght, Dublin 24 on June 9th, 2017, which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O’Connor.
Mr Johnston also denies engaging in the refurbishment of a bathroom at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 between May 31st, 2017 and June 9th, 2017, in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the murder of Mrs O’Connor.
Stephanie O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as Mrs O’Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 at a point in time after her murder on May 29th, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that she was already dead.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women.


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--£1,000 pay rise for NI politicians a ‘slap in the face’ for workers

Members of the recently restored North Ireland Assembly are to receive a pay rise of £1,000 , with one of the beneficiaries of the raise describing the news as a “ slap in the face ” for public servants .
The increase was suspended while Northern Ireland ’ s powersharing government failed to sit for almost three years , but the restoration of the Assembly this month means MLA salaries will rise from £49,500 to £50,500 per year .
An Assembly spokesman said that following the formation of an Executive on January 11th “ the full provisions of the Assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Northern Ireland ) 2016 are in effect , including the provisions for an annual uprating .
“ The annual uprating , provided for in paragraph 3 , has been applied .
The current annual salary payable as a Member is £50,500 , ” she said .
The pay increase was criticised by People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll , who said “ the fact that MLAs are back in post just over a week and are having their wages topped up will no doubt come as a slap in the face to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months for pay parity , and the civil service staff who are still taking industrial action to get what they deserve ” .
“ People Before Profit have always advocated for MLAs to be paid an average worker ’ s wage - it ’ s what I take home , ” the Belfast West representative said .
“ How can MLAs receive a salary that is around double the average wage and claim to competently represent their constituents interests when their financial realities are so different ?
”

Members of the recently restored North Ireland Assembly are to receive a pay rise of £1,000, with one of the beneficiaries of the raise describing the news as a “slap in the face” for public servants.
The increase was suspended while Northern Ireland’s powersharing government failed to sit for almost three years, but the restoration of the Assembly this month means MLA salaries will rise from £49,500 to £50,500 per year.
An Assembly spokesman said that following the formation of an Executive on January 11th “the full provisions of the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016 are in effect, including the provisions for an annual uprating.
“The annual uprating, provided for in paragraph 3, has been applied. The current annual salary payable as a Member is £50,500,” she said.
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The pay increase was criticised by People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, who said "the fact that MLAs are back in post just over a week and are having their wages topped up will no doubt come as a slap in the face to nurses who stood on freezing pickets for months for pay parity, and the civil service staff who are still taking industrial action to get what they deserve".
“People Before Profit have always advocated for MLAs to be paid an average worker’s wage - it’s what I take home,” the Belfast West representative said.
“How can MLAs receive a salary that is around double the average wage and claim to competently represent their constituents interests when their financial realities are so different?”


theirishtimes--2020-01-21--Man charged with baby’s murder left him alone to visit casino, court told

A man charged with murdering a baby in Co Armagh left the child alone for hours while he visited a casino , the high court in Belfast heard on Tuesday .
Prosecutors also alleged Sharyar Ali went out in the middle of the night for a second time when he was supposed to be looking after 11-month old Hunter McGleenon .
The little boy ’ s “ lifeless ” body was discovered later on November 26th last year when paramedics were called to a house in Keady .
Examinations established that he had sustained head and abdominal injuries .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westenra Terrace in Monaghan , was in a relationship with the baby ’ s mother at the time .
Hunter had been left in his sole care from the previous day while she spent time with her terminally ill grandmother .
The court heard he made a number of trips with the child during that period , including taking him to Monaghan where he runs a mobile phone shop .
Later that evening he brought the boy back to Keady to say goodnight to his mother , with no concerns raised at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Mr Ali ’ s account , the child rolled off a sofa and banged his head on the ground .
The defendant said he found the boy face down on the floor and put him into a cold shower in a bid to revive him .
When Hunter started to move his arms and clench his mouth Mr Ali said he dressed and put him to bed .
Later , however , he said he noticed the baby ’ s lips had turned blue and brought him round to the house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crown lawyer insisted his version of events did not explain “ multiple ” injuries found on several areas of the child ’ s body .
Mr Ali told detectives that apparent blunt force trauma injuries to the abdomen were due to attempting CPR on the part of the body rather than the chest .
But prosecution counsel contended that he provided contradictory explanations as evidence was put to him in police interviews .
Opposing his application for bail , she went on to detail two separate alleged trips Mr Ali made before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the child alone for a couple of hours while he was in a casino in Castleblayney , ” the barrister said .
Later , the baby was again left unattended when Ali returned to Monaghan because he was waiting for a delivery , she saud , “ He said he didn ’ t mention this to police initially because he knew it was inadvisable , ” counsel said .
Mr Ali ’ s wife and brother both attended court for his bid to be released from custody .
During the hearing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings in the Republic of Ireland .
Lord Justice McCloskey was also told he does not have permission to remain in the United Kingdom .
Adjourning the bail application , the judge said he wanted further inquiries made with officials in both jurisdictions .

Hunter McGleenon whose body was discovered later on November 26th last year
A man charged with murdering a baby in Co Armagh left the child alone for hours while he visited a casino, the high court in Belfast heard on Tuesday.
Prosecutors also alleged Sharyar Ali went out in the middle of the night for a second time when he was supposed to be looking after 11-month old Hunter McGleenon.
The little boy’s “lifeless” body was discovered later on November 26th last year when paramedics were called to a house in Keady.
Examinations established that he had sustained head and abdominal injuries.
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Mr Ali, a 31-year-old Pakistani national of Westenra Terrace in Monaghan, was in a relationship with the baby’s mother at the time.
Hunter had been left in his sole care from the previous day while she spent time with her terminally ill grandmother.
The court heard he made a number of trips with the child during that period, including taking him to Monaghan where he runs a mobile phone shop.
Later that evening he brought the boy back to Keady to say goodnight to his mother, with no concerns raised at that stage.
But the following morning, according to Mr Ali’s account, the child rolled off a sofa and banged his head on the ground.
The defendant said he found the boy face down on the floor and put him into a cold shower in a bid to revive him.
When Hunter started to move his arms and clench his mouth Mr Ali said he dressed and put him to bed. Later, however, he said he noticed the baby’s lips had turned blue and brought him round to the house where his mother was staying.
A Crown lawyer insisted his version of events did not explain “multiple” injuries found on several areas of the child’s body.
Mr Ali told detectives that apparent blunt force trauma injuries to the abdomen were due to attempting CPR on the part of the body rather than the chest.
But prosecution counsel contended that he provided contradictory explanations as evidence was put to him in police interviews.
Opposing his application for bail, she went on to detail two separate alleged trips Mr Ali made before the night before Hunter died.
“He left the child alone for a couple of hours while he was in a casino in Castleblayney,” the barrister said. Later, the baby was again left unattended when Ali returned to Monaghan because he was waiting for a delivery, she saud,
“He said he didn’t mention this to police initially because he knew it was inadvisable,” counsel said.
Mr Ali’s wife and brother both attended court for his bid to be released from custody.
During the hearing it emerged that the accused is facing deportation proceedings in the Republic of Ireland. Lord Justice McCloskey was also told he does not have permission to remain in the United Kingdom.
Adjourning the bail application, the judge said he wanted further inquiries made with officials in both jurisdictions.