Tag Archives: Ennis Circuit Court

A JUDGE has rejected a proposal that a sex offender not be present for his sentencing hearing and view proceedings via FaceTime, Zoom or some other ‘virtual’ means from his current home in France. At Ennis Circuit Court on today (Thursday), Judge Gerald Keys stated that it would be “grossly unfair” to the man’s victim if he wasn’t present for the sentencing. The 22-year-old Clare man sexually assaulted the girl after the two made contact through Snapchat and he has failed to turn up for his sentencing as he is on Covid-19 lockdown in France. Travel restrictions in France concerning Covid-19 have meant that the man has been unable to fly back to Ireland. At the court in February, the teenage complainant said she wanted justice for the sexual abuse perpetrated on her by a “vile creature” when she was aged 12. The teenager, now 17, stated that her life has only gone downhill since the accused “abused me at …

A VICTIM of child cruelty told Ennis Circuit Criminal Court this week that he “often thought about killing his mother”, such was the level of violence in the home. The victim, who is now in his 20s but was aged between 12 and 17 during the period of abuse, described his life as “a living hell” and says he will “never be able to fully get over the horrible things” his mother put him through. The young man made a disclosure to his school and gardaí when he was 17, detailing cruelty against himself and his three younger siblings between 2012 and 2015. He described being beaten with a boat paddle until it broke, being whipped with an electrical cable and being forced to do a handstand while his broken arm was in a cast. He said he needed to watch You Tube videos to learn how to remove the cast because his mother would not take him to follow-up …

A HSE paramedic faces a prison term up to five years after pleading guilty to assaulting two female first aid students when he placed them in a choke hold five years ago. Andrew Long, aged 35, changed his plea at Ennis Circuit Court last Friday just before the State and defence were about to make their closing speeches before a jury at the end of the three day trial. Mr Long, who knocked mother of one, Mary Nihill out and rendered her unconscious with his choke hold, said ‘guilty’ when re-arraigned on the charges. Mr Long changed his plea after discussions between his legal team and the State prior to the court where the State agreed to a less serious charge against Mr Long’s second victim and mother of three, Elise McMahon. However, Mr Long of Carraig Dubh, Tobertaosceain, Ennis now faces a jail term up to five years after his plea of guilty to the more serious assault causing …

At Ennis Circuit Court today (Wednesday), a student nurse got visibly upset in the witness box, as she alleged how a HSE paramedic rendered her unconscious during an evening first aid class at the Vocational Education Centre in Scariff in March 2013. Mary Nihill, a fourth year nursing student and a mother of one, told the court that after the incident “I was in shock. I thought I was in safe hands with a professional paramedic. He tried to knock me out – he did knock me out”. In the case, Andrew Long (35) of Carraig Dubh, Tobertaosceain, Ennis has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Mary Nihill and Elise McMahon – who was seven months pregnant at the time – in March 2013. In the case, mature student, Ms Nihill said she was taking an evening occupational first aid course that was been given by Mr Long. She said that after the class, Mr Long called her out …

A 65-year old farmer this week pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with the dumping of 12 decomposing animal carcasses from a 300 ft high cliff four years ago in West Clare. At Ennis Circuit Court today (Tuesday), Martin Gerald Foley pleaded guilty to disposing of waste in a manner that is likely to cause environmental pollution on dates unknown between April 20th 2013 and March 13th 2014 contrary to Section 32 (1) of the Waste Management Act. The 12 carcasses were made up of eight horse carcasses and four cattle carcasses. At a previous court date, counsel for Mr Foley, Pat Whyms BL said that his client would be contesting the charge and that the trial would take over one week. Judge Gerald Keys was ready to be impaneled in the case on Tuesday, however, Mr Foley of Lislanihan, Kilkee said ‘guilty judge’ when arraigned on the single charge in court. The guilty plea followed a lengthy Garda …

The Probation Services is recommending that a 22-year-old east Clare woman not be jailed concerning her neglect of a then five-month-old baby who suffered a catalogue of injuries including a skull fracture while in her care. At Ennis Circuit Court on Wednesday, Judge Gerald Keys said that the Probation Report on the woman recommends that she be placed under the supervision of the Probation Services for a period. Judge Keys said that the Probation Service report states that in order to assess the risk of re-offending, it was necessary for the services to have contact with the woman and that TUSLA staff engage with the Probation Service to ensure the safety and well being of the baby. In the case, the mother – then aged 19 – presented to her GP on February 13, 2015 in a distressed state with the baby as her daughter’s left arm wasn’t moving and she had bruising to her face. Her GP referred the …

A teenage girl who stabbed another girl with a stiletto heel during a drunken row after a school graduation ceremony, has been told that she faces jail if she doesn’t co-operate with the Probation Service. Judge Gerald Keys gave the warning to Shannon Jordan (19) of Lios Anama, Sixmilebridge at Ennis Circuit Court this week. In the case, Ms Jordan’s victim, Natasha Griffin McMahon – who was aged 17 at the time of the assault in August 2015 – suffered a fractured eye socket and laceration, when Jordan used the pointed heel of her shoe to strike her in the face. Ms Jordan has pleaded guilty to the assault and in her victim impact statement, Ms Griffin McMahon said that she came close to being blinded by the stiletto attack. She said the deepest cut from the stiletto “was millimetres below my eye”. “If it had been even slightly higher, I would have lost my eye completely or, at best, …

A 41-year-old man who swindled a married woman he met through a dating website out of almost €19,000 is paying off “every spare penny he earns” to his victim, Ennis Circuit Court has heard. Alan Custy of Dun na hInse, Lahinch Road, Ennis hatched a scheme where he stole by deception almost €19,000 from the “vulnerable, gullible, trusting woman” he met through smooch.com over five months in 2013. The 47-year-old Limerick woman, who lives alone, was the second online female victim of Custy, who previously received a three-year suspended jail term in February 2012 for blackmailing a married woman who he met on connectedsingles.com. In that case, Custy posed as a Michael Lynch and in the smooch.com case, the father-of-two posed as an Alan Casey. Custy has been given time by Judge Gerald Keys to pay back the compensation to the Limerick woman and counsel for Custy, Patrick Whyms, BL, told Ennis Circuit Court this week that Custy is paying over all spare money he …