Tag Archives: Judge Mary Larkin

SPECIALIST ‘Bat Tiles’ have been put in place in the roof of Kilrush Courthouse to allow Natterer bats to continue to live in their Maternity Bat roost there. The spend on the ‘Bat Tiles’ is part of an estimated €198,000 remedial works to the building that is now once more staging courts after a gap of eight months. Welcoming the return of court sittings to Kilrush, a spokesman for the Courts Service said last week, “The protection of this roost will ensure that the Natterer Bats and their pups can continue to reside there.” At the first sitting of the court since last July, Judge Mary Larkin told the court, “I hope the bats are happy upstairs and they are adequately provided as we are here”. Judge Larkin said that she was “delighted” that court sittings have resumed in Kilrush. Judge Larkin said, “Justice needs to operate locally and be seen to operate locally.” She added, “It is terribly important …

A judge has warned the parents of two ‘school shy’ children that she will send both to jail unless their children have a 100 per cent attendance record in school from now on. In one case, a 15-year-old girl has not attended school at all in the current school year while her 11-year-old brother has missed 80 out of 117 school days. At Kilrush District Court, Judge Mary Larkin was told that the girl’s mother informed a TUSLA Education Welfare Officer that her daughter wasn’t attending school because ‘she didn’t like it’ and suffers from ‘anxiety’. The TUSLA Education Welfare Officer said that the 11-year-old boy wasn’t attending school because of ‘headaches’ and that he was being bullied at school but she stated that there was no evidence to support the bullying claim. Judge Larkin said that the anxiety explanation for the 15-year-old girl “has been pulled out of the bag today at the very last minute in the heel …

A judge has described the circumstances in which a west Clare farmer lost his life in a farm accident as ‘horrific’. At Kilrush District Court, Judge Mary Larkin made her comment after hearing an outline of the State case concerning Damien Carmody’s death at Doonaha, Kilkee on January 22 2021. One of the two men being prosecuted concerning alleged Health and Safety breaches arising from the farm accident is farmer, John Roche of Doonaha Kilkee. Judge Larkin commented: “These are all horrific circumstances. This was a man who was his neighbour and his friend.” Mr Carmody had only got married to wife, Elaine 12 months prior to the fatal incident. In court on Tuesday, State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey said that the case against Mr Roche’s co-accused, Christopher Keane of Bella, Kilkee, is to be heard in the circuit court and a Book of Evidence is to be prepared for service in June. After hearing an outline of the …

A 62-year-old mother of six broke the windows of her estranged husband’s tractor with a golf club in a row over an unpaid €200,000 martial debt, a court has heard. At Gort District Court, the south Galway woman admitted to smashing windows of her husband’s tractor in August 2020 with a Sand Wedge golf club at a time when the man hadn’t paid up €200,000 arising from a 2019 family law court separation agreement. A daughter of the estranged couple videoed her mother’s golf club assault on the tractor on her smart-phone and the footage was played to the court. Judge Mary Larkin convicted the woman of criminal damage of the tractor and the possession of an article during a dispute and told her “you took the law into your own hands wielding the golf club. You can’t go around wielding a golf club at anyone”. Solicitor for the woman, Charles Foley told the court that there was “a huge …

A 47-year-old sales account manager punched a taxi driver and screamed that he was going to kill him during a taxi journey outside Ennis, a court has heard. The accused had also grabbed the steering wheel and attempted to crash the car, before the driver was able to regain control. At Ennis District Court, Judge Mary Larkin said that a drunken Brendan Farrell “scared the living daylights” out of Limerick taxi driver, Niall Moran (57) during the incident on a road at Clonroadmore on the outskirts of Ennis on June 23 2020. Judge Larkin imposed a suspended one-month prison term on Mr Farrell of Rowlagh Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 for the unprovoked assault on Mr Moran during the aborted Limerick to Ennistymon taxi journey. Sergeant Louis Moloney said that the assault by Mr Farrell on Mr Moran took place shortly after Mr Farrell left hospital in Limerick concerning a separate road incident with Gardai outside Clarecastle, earlier on the day …

A CATTLE dealer served with a child maintenance arrears ultimatum by a judge of “sell a cow or go to jail” has handed €5,000 in €50 notes into court, writes Gordon Deegan At the Family Law Court, the cattle dealer told Judge Mary Larkin that a man he buys cattle for phoned him to help out on his child maintenance arrears debt. Judge Larkin had issued the ‘sell a cow or go to jail’ ultimatum on the cattle dealer last month. The cattle dealer said that the friend gave him a loan of €5,000 in the form of a cheque which he cashed and handed into court. The cattle dealer said: “He is a well-off person and he rang to help me out.” Judge Larkin said that after the €5,000 has been paid over, the cattle dealer owes a further €1,600 in maintenance arrears. After the man handed over the bundle of €50 notes, Judge Larkin told him: “It was …

A JUDGE has jailed a 25-year-old man for three months after hearing that he was seen allegedly masturbating beside a female passenger on board a Ryanair flight to Shannon earlier this month, writes Gordon Deegan. At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Judge Mary Larkin described Ioan Remi Makula’s “abuse” on board the flight as “outrageous”. The judge Larkin added that Makula “upset the woman beside him and upset the entire plane and that can’t be tolerated”. Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court that it would be alleged that Makula of 52 Fearann Ri, Doughiska, Galway was seen allegedly masturbating on the Shannon bound flight from Manchester on February 4 last. He said that statements were taken from the captain, crew and passengers and CCTV was taken as well “and passengers were described as being very upset as a result of the incident”. Sergeant Lonergan stated that Makula was arrested at Shannon airport and brought before a court charged in connection …

A judge has told a cattle dealer €6,700 in arrears on his child maintenance payments to “sell a cow or go to jail”, writes Gordon Deegan. At the Family Law Court, Judge Mary Larkin issued the ultimatum to the father of the two children at the centre of the arrears dispute. The man told Judge Larkin that he has fallen into arrears on his child maintenance payments of €100 a week as he can’t afford the payments. Judge Larkin said that the court order was made in 2019 concerning the €100 per week. The dealer explained: “Back then, I was buying a lot more cattle – with this online I only have half the work and farmers are doing the sales at home themselves over the phone.” Judge Larkin told him: “You have got to pay up – borrow money or sell stock.” Judge Larkin stated: “Sell a cow or go to jail…The issue is that you’re not doing what …