Judge refuses jurisdiction in case against siblings accused of assault in Limerick hotel

A LIMERICK district court judge has refused to accept jurisdiction in the case against a brother and sister accused of assaulting two men in a local hotel.

A son and daughter of well-known Limerick publican Charlie Chawke were charged before Newcastle West Court this Tuesday with assaulting two men at the Dunraven Arms Hotel in Adare.

Bill Chawke, aged 30, of Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, was charged with two counts of assault causing harm, in which he allegedly threw punches at both alleged injured parties, and hit the head of one of the men off a bar counter at around 12.30am on November 9, 2023.

Alison Chawke, aged 40, of The Beeches, Holywell, Goatstown, Dublin 14, allegedly gouged the eyes of one of the alleged victims, and allegedly kicked the other alleged victim in the head before allegedly biting him on the side of his face.

Ms Chawke is also alleged to have thrown a pint glass at the alleged victims and a number of other patrons who had been trying to intervene in the alleged incident.

Garda Ronan Hayes, of Adare garda station, gave evidence of arresting and charging both of the accused. 

The brother and sister were represented by Dublin-based solicitor Michael Finucane.

Garda Hayes told the court that neither of the two accused made any reply when charged.

Inspector Barry Manton, prosecuting, told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the two accused be dealt with by summary disposal.

This means that a district court judge hears a summary of the alleged facts before deciding if they will allow the case to proceed in the district court or go to the circuit court.

Insp Manton alleged that at around 12.30am on November 9, 2023, Ms and Mr Chawke were sitting at a bar at a hotel in Adare, along with the two alleged victims, and other hotel guests.

The court heard the two accused were involved in a verbal altercation with bar staff as well as the two alleged victims. Insp Manton alleged the two accused began a violent altercation. 

A number of other customers at the bar “tried to break it up”, however, the altercation continued and ended in a hallway, Insp Manton alleged.

“It was all captured on CCTV,” said the garda inspector.

Insp Manton told Judge Carol Anne Coolican: “It will be alleged that Bill Chawke, during this violent altercation, gouged the eyes of injured party number one and hit the head of injured party number one, pushing it down on the bar in a forceful manner.”

It was further alleged that Mr Chawke “threw a number of punches against both injured parties”.

Regarding Ms Chawke, Insp Manton alleged she gouged the eyes of injured party number one, picked up a glass and threw it at persons involved, including those that were trying to break it up.

“Ms Chawke then made her way to a hallway and delivered a number of kicks to the head of injured party number two, and she bent down and bit him on the cheek,,” alleged Insp Manton.

Defence solicitor, Mr Finucane said he was “not in a position to contradict or challenge this version of the facts as disclosure has been withheld up to this point”.

He described a medical report in respect of the alleged injured parties as “unremarkable” but that another medical report had contained language which, in his opinion, is “inadmissible” and “inappropriate”.

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Judge Carol Anne Coolican said she wished to see all CCTV footage of the alleged incident, as well as any other footage, including mobile phone footage, before she would decide on jurisdiction.

After viewing the footage, Judge Coolican refused jurisdiction.

She said Ms and Mr Chawke were “entitled to their presumption of innocence” and remanded them on bail to appear before Newcastle West District Court for service of books of evidence on December 3.