Courts News Ireland wishes all an enjoyable long vacation.

Full coverage resumes when the higher courts return for Michaelmas term, beginning October 7th.

Two couples face the prospect of being jailed if they fail to vacate an unofficial halting site in Co Tipperary by Thursday of next week.

Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds had in early July made orders in favour of Tipperary County Council against several persons whose presence at Cabragh Bridge, Cabragh, Thurles, it is alleged constitutes a public nuisance.

The court heard that some of the persons at the side had moved on in compliance with the orders, but that two couples remained at the site, in contempt of the court’s orders.

Arising out of their failure to ….read more

There were violent scenes requiring the intervention of gardai and security in the Four Courts on Wednesday when it was claimed that the defendant in a defamation action was attacked and injured by a group of individuals who attended court.

The individuals allegedly involved had attended an action brought by a London-based Nigerian businesswoman, Rosala Uvbi Mku-Atu, who claims she has been defamed and threatened in social media posts by Ms Ester Esabod Aboderin, with an address at Leixlip, Co Kildare.

Shortly before the case was due to be heard by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, a violent fracas which shocked onlookers and ….read more

A High Court judge has ruled that certain extracts of documents the FAI has given to the ODCE are covered by professional legal privilege and cannot be used as part of the probe into certain matters concerning the association.

In a motion, brought under the 2014 Companies Act, the ODCE asked the High Court to determine if certain parts of documents provided to it by the FAI and its auditors, Deloitte Ireland LLP, are legally privileged.

Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds ruled that the contents of some 14 passages contained in a total of 16 documents provided by the FAI ….read more

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) wants to sell off a fleet of 114 cars valued at almost €3 million that were seized from a Limerick motor dealer last March, the High Court heard today.

At a hearing a barrister said the cars are expensive to store and are losing value, so the State wants to sell them off as quickly as possible.

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart adjourned the matter to August 15 when she will decide whether to allow CAB to sell the cars. She said that assets such as cars can “rapidly depreciate” and the maximum value of the cars should ….read more

A former sales manager with a pet food supplier has settled his High Court action against his ex-employers over allegedly defamatory statements that were published about him.

Last January Gerard Flannery, who had been the Sales Manager in the Republic of Ireland for Northern Ireland-based Nutts About Pets Ltd and a related firm, Speedritedog Food Limited, secured a temporary injunction against the firms and firm’s owner Mr Basil Thompson.

The defendants were ordered to remove certain statements posted online about Mr Flannery, which Mr Flannery claimed were defamatory.

The case was adjourned from time to time, with the injunction remaining in place, ….read more

An Garda Siochana have been unable to locate and bring a financial advisor, accused of using investors funds for his own personal use, before the High Court to answer his alleged contempt.

Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds was told that the Gardai in Buncrana, Co Donegal have searched for Mr James Doherty and are continuing to make efforts to find him.

The court previously made an order that Mr Doherty be attached and brought before the High Court by the Gardai over his failure to comply with court orders including that he return a six-figure sum given to him ….read more

The siblings of a landlord brutally killed by his tenant have launched a High Court challenge against a coroner’s refusal to conduct an “enhanced” inquest into his death.

Thomas O’Gorman was killed between January 11 and January 12, 2014, at his home in Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock, Dublin 15.

In 2015, his tenant Saverio Bellante (40) admitted killing Mr O’Gorman and eating his body parts.

A jury at the Central Criminal Court found Bellante not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and placed him in the care of the Central Mental Hospital, where he currently remains.

The High Court on Monday ….read more

A Nigerian businesswoman has secured a temporary High Court order aimed at having threatening and defamatory comments allegedly posted on social media platforms by an Irish-based woman removed.

The interim injunction was granted by Ms Justice Leoine Reynolds in favour of Ms Rosala Uvbi Mku-Atu against Ms Ester Esabod Aboderin, of Easton Green Leixlip, Co Kildare.

The businesswoman, from Maitama Abuja in Nigeria but currently residing in London due to ill health, is involved in property development and electricity distribution businesses, and is also involved in philanthropy.

Represented by Thomas Hogan SC, Ms Uvbi Mku-Atu claims that since May ….read more

A dispute between members of a family whose firm sells and makes jewellery, including the world-famous Claddagh rings, has been adjourned to facilitate a mediation.

The row involves brothers Mr Andrew and Mr Philip Fried, who are shareholders of Claddagh Jewellers Ltd, which operates stores in Galway and Dublin, as well as selling its products online.

Mr Andrew Fried claims his brother has attempted to interfere with the company’s business. In separate proceedings, Philip claims Andrew and a company, Claddagh Ring Ltd, has breached his (Philip’s) trademark.

The matter was mentioned before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, who adjourned the matter ….read more