Tag Archives: Clare District Courts

THE State has been granted extra time to serve a book of evidence on a man accused of murdering a woman in Ennis. Patrick Ballard (34), with a former address at Ashford Court Hotel, Ennis, is charged with the murder of Sharon Bennett at Garraunakilla, the Market, Ennis on January 28, 2021, contrary to Common Law. Ms Bennett (29), a native of Wexford who lived in Clare, died 13 days later at University Hospital Limerick. Ballard appeared before Ennis District Court yesterday via video link from Limerick Prison where he has been on remand since January. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court that the charge of murder was put to the accused on March 24 and the State has 42 days, up to May 5, to serve the book of evidence. Sergeant Lonergan said the book was not yet available and he was seeking to have the case further adjourned to May 12. He said the State was also seeking …

AN UNEMPLOYED hotel kitchen porter had his e-scooter destroyed after he could not afford the €1,200 release bill following its seizure by a Garda, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, solicitor for Polish national, Michael Blwlus (24), Billy Loughnane stated that the outcome for his client in the case “has already been disastrous”. Mr Loughnane made the comment after Mr Blwlus became the first person to plead guilty to a road traffic offence concerning the use of an e-scooter before Clare’s courts. The solicitor stated the man, who had lost his job as a hotel kitchen porter due to Covid-19 was going around on his e-scooter, handing out CVs to businesses in Ennis on March 24 last year during the first lockdown when stopped by Garda Ken Butler. Mr Blwlus of Collins Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis pleaded guilty to having no insurance for the e-scooter on that date. Garda Butler seized the e-scooter from Mr Blwlus and when …

MORE than €28,500 was raised for charity in 2014, following the allocation this week of funds from Clare’s District Court poor box. The funds collected in the poor box were distributed across 23 charities this week by Clare’s District Court Judge Patrick Durcan and the recipient charities are expected to receive the funding prior to Christmas. This year, the charities benefitting from the most funds are the St Vincent De Paul, with €5,000 allocated to St Senan’s Kilrush conference of St Vincent De Paul and a further €5,000 to St Vincent De Paul in Ennis. Ennis Community Development Project and the Lions Club of Ennis are set to receive funds of €1,500 each. Donations of €1,000 were made to 12 charities, which included Hand in Hand (Children’s Cancer Charity); Diabetes Ireland Clare Branch; Dream Believe Achieve; Rape Crisis Midwest Clare Centre; Clare Crusaders; Cahercalla Hospice; Poor Clares in Ennis; The Samaritans, Ennis; ClareCare; Clare Haven Services; Pieta House and Childline. …