Businesswoman ‘wants opportunity to clear her good name’

A BUSINESSWOMEN who is alleged to have threatened to drive her vehicle through the front window of the offices of a receiver has told the High Court she wants the opportunity to clear her good name.

Receiver Declan Taite of the firm Duff and Phelps claims that Mairead Barry has engaged in acts of intimidation and had made threats against him, his family and certain employees of the company.   

Last week Mr Taite's lawyers secured permission from the High Court to serve short notice of injunction proceedings against Ms Barry.

He seeks an injunction preventing Ms Barry and her servants and agents from behaving in a threatening, abusive, intimidating and insulting manner towards Mr Taite and his associates.

He also seeks orders preventing her from attending at or entering Mr Taite's company offices at Stephen's Green in Dublin 2.

When the matter returned before Mr Justice Allen on Friday Ms Barry, who represented herself during the brief hearing and who said she had never been in court before, said she wants to bring a "counterclaim" against the allegations made against her. 

Those allegations, she said, were published in the media without anyone asking her about her side of the story.

She wants the opportunity "to clear my good name", the court heard.

She also told the court that she was prepared to give undertakings to stay away from the receivers' offices and to only communicate with them through their solicitors.

She did not want the case adjourned generally, but asked the court to adjourn the matter for six months on medical grounds.

Mr Justice Allen agreed to adjourn the matter to a date in late October.

In a sworn statement to the court Mr Taite says that he was appointed as receiver over three properties in Mallow, Co Cork belonging to Ms Barry's husband Mr Tim Sheahan. 

Mr Taite said that he also had dealings with a company of which Ms Barry is a director over the sale of several apartments located at the St Lua's Apartment Complex at Iona Drive off the North Circular Road in Limerick. 

Mr Taite said that his firm was appointed receivers over those properties but claims that an issue has arisen regarding that transaction.

Mr Taite said that when the receivers contacted Ms Barry about that issue her response was troubling.

He claims that when he spoke to her earlier this year, she was abusive and threatening in a sustained manner.  He ceased all direct contact with Ms Barry, and said she was informed to only communicate through the receiver's solicitors.

Earlier this month Mr Taite said that she telephoned his employers and that she told the person she was speaking with that she would driver her vehicle through the front window of Duff and Phelps' offices.

Mr Taite said that arising out of the threats he made a complaint to the Gardai, who he said told him that her threats are credible and should be taken seriously.  

Mr Taite said as an experienced receiver he was used to being involved in contentious matters.

Given the nature of the threats and the Garda response he was left with no option other than to bring proceedings before the High Court, he said.