'Vicious and unprovoked' assault by Chawke siblings has left 'stain' on Limerick village, court hears

Bill Chawke (31) and Alison Chawke (41) appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court and both pleaded guilty to assault causing harm in the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare in November 2023

SIBLINGS from a well-known publican family in Adare brought “shame” and a “stain” to the locality because of their criminal behaviour, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Bill Chawke and Alison Chawke - son and daughter of Charlie Chawke, of Bill Chawke’s Bar in Adare, both pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to two men.

The incident happened in the bar and lobby of the Dunraven Arms Hotel on November 9, 2023, when two victims unconnected to the Chawke siblings, were assaulted and one of the victims feared his eyesight would be permanently affected.

Alison Chawke, aged 41, of The Beeches, Holywell, Goatstown, Dublin 14, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, while Bill Chawke (31) of Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.

The court heard today, Thursday, May 7, that the two victims, men aged 54 and 55, were “quietly having a drink” when they observed Bill Chawke getting “mouthy and aggressive and he was loud,” one of the garda statements stated.

The court was told that Bill Chawke at one point said: “Have you got a staring problem?”

The court heard that Alison Chawke picked up and threw a glass, but it did not break.

She was kicking towards one of the victims at one point and the altercation became very physical in the bar and then lobby of the hotel.

Prosecuting for the State, Lily Buckley BL, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined that the victims’ evidence to gardaí stated that Alison Chawke was “loud and a bit messy” and “clearly intoxicated.”

She said that one of the victims felt fingers in his eyes and around his eye area, after he had been knocked to the ground.

One of the victims told gardaí: “I didn’t do anything to draw this vicious response.”

The court heard that Ms Chawke got involved and bit one of the victims on the left cheek with such force that she “locked on.”

The victim told gardaí: “I felt someone bite me, it happened very quickly.”

Ms Buckley described the incident as “completely unprovoked” and it had moved from the bar to the lobby and was broken up by bystanders and hotel staff.

Photos were handed into Judge Fiona O’Sullivan showing injuries to the face, ears and cheek of one man, with injuries to the eyelid and face of the other man.

The man who was bitten on the cheek attended the VHI Swift Care Clinic and was given an anti-tetanus injection and steri-strips for the injury.

The other man attended the emergency department of University Hospital Limerick with facial injuries and a bruised and swollen eyelid.

The court heard that Ms Chawke initially didn’t tell gardaí her name, but disclosed her personal information at a later date, while her brother spoke to gardaí, apologised and left the hotel when asked to.

She admitted that initially she did not want her father to know what had happened.

Both were met by arrangement and arrested and questioned on January 17, 2024.

Ms Chawke told gardaí that the two victims had been “smirking” and the court heard that “from her perspective, she felt frightened.”

The court heard that on the night, Alison Chawke had consumed seven vodka and red bulls, while Bill Chawke had consumed six gin and tonics and a pint of Guinness.

CCTV footage was shown in court outlining the violence on the night - Alison Chawke bowed her head down and viewed some of it, while it was played and her brother Bill Chawke looked straight ahead, avoiding the CCTV aside from a few fleeting glances.

The court heard that neither of the defendants has any previous convictions and a number of references citing charitable works and their good standing in the community were read out and handed into court.

Barrister Hugh Hartnett SC, representing Bill Chawke told the court that his client is a well-respected, hard working and decent man from a “much respected business family" who just recently got married.

Mark Nicholas SC, representing Alison Chawke, told the court that his client is a 41-year-old mother of three children who is very involved in the family business and particularly active in terms of community events and fundraising.

Publican Charlie Chawke wrote a letter on behalf of both of his children and described them as hard working, saying this incident was out of character and they are both remorseful and embarrassed.

The court heard victim impact statements from both men - one of whom was present in court.

One man described fearing that his eyesight would be permanently affected and how there was a “distressing” time and a “period of uncertainty” where the extent of damage was not known.

He said that he found it embarrassing to have to explain his visible injuries to clients and members of his team at work.

“In the months that followed, I noticed a change in myself, I was more short tempered and irritable,” the statement said.

The man also suffered anxiety, sought counselling to process his emotions and had developed a “sense of unease in social environments.”

The other victim’s statement relayed that he still suffers from tinnitus in his left ear and that the injuries “continue to have a daily impact” on his life.

He now gets anxious in social situations and has higher stress levels and has been referred to a consultant who specialises in trauma.

Hugh Hartnett SC told the court that what happened was “inexcusable”, but that Mr Chawke, lives with the embarrassment of this, as does his family and his new in-laws.

Mark Nicholas SC added that the assault and level of violence was “unspeakable.”

“It is a stain that was brought into the town and it is unacceptable. She wants to take steps to make good and remove that stain,” he said of his client Alison Chawke.

Both barristers urged the judge to consider leniency in her judgement, while accepting that their clients took full responsibility for their actions.

Judge O’Sullivan adjourned the matter until Monday next, May 11, for sentencing and both defendants were remanded on continuing bail with the same terms as before.