Latest news with #CollinsCourts
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: Family bond endures for former garda determined to finally achieve justice
Margaret Loftus's father sat beside her in the witness box, just as he had stood at her side 13 years ago when she told her husband that their marriage was over. The latter occasion was on October 31, 2012, some eight hours after her husband Trevor Bolger had assaulted her in front of their children. Both Margaret and her husband were members of An Garda Síochána at that time. On Wednesday, when called to give her victim impact statement, she left her place in the public gallery, her father Michael at her side. He held her hand as they walked to the witness box where both sat down. The garda detective who investigated the assault, Rioghnach O'Sullivan, settled them in, made sure they were comfortable, and asked whether they would like a glass of water. Earlier, the detective had told the court that the assault had occurred in Margaret's childhood home in Co Mayo, to where the couple had visited from Dublin for a family occasion. The following morning Margaret had woken her father and asked him to stand beside her when she told Bolger that their marriage was over. Michael Loftus did as his daughter requested, and on that morning she left one life in a sump of despair to embark on a new one. It was to take 12 before the wheel of justice would turn in her favour. In the witness box, Margaret Loftus put on a pair of glasses, moved towards the microphone, and began talking in a clear voice, determined that she would get through this testimony, for, as she was to relate, herself, her children, and any other victim of domestic violence. Sitting in the areas reserved for defendants, Trevor Bolger looked into the middle distance with faraway eyes, like a man who was being forced to live through a past he would rather forget. In the witness box, Margaret Loftus put on a pair of glasses, moved towards the microphone, and began talking in a clear voice, determined that she would get through this testimony, for, as she was to relate, herself, her children, and any other victim of domestic violence. Picture: Collins Courts On April 28 last, he pleaded guilty to assault, under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act. That was on the day that his trial was due to begin. At two interviews with investigating gardaí he had denied assaulting his wife of the time. Then, a few weeks before he was due to go on trial, he admitted it in a plea deal. Two other charges, of coercive control and threatening to kill were dropped, entered as nolle prosequi. Wednesday was his victim's day. Margaret Loftus told the court that during the assault her children were her main concern. 'I would have taken any kind of battering once they were safe. The fear I felt during the assault was heightened by the knowledge that my children were present,' she said. 'This assault on this fateful night was so violent and terrifying it ended our marriage,' she said. She went on to thank those who had helped her along the way particularly her husband Hugh 'who found me shattered and broken'. Then she finished with a clarion call to anybody who is, or was, going through what she had experienced. 'Trevor Bolger you did your level best to break me and my children,' she said. 'You made me suffer every single day since I left you after this assault but I want you to know you haven't broken me. As a victim of domestic violence I would like to urge all other victims to come forward no matter how much someone like Trevor Bolger tries to abuse you. There is always a better life waiting if you can find your voice. Here and there, while she related her experience, her voice threatened to break. But she held it together, drawing strength from the presence of her father beside her. There was a silence of respect in court 22 as she got up from the chair, helped her father to his feet, walked past the defendant and back to the heart of the family that had come to support her. Judge Martina Baxter heard pleas of mitigation and made some queries as to what rehabilitation Trevor Bolger had undergone. Taking everything into account she said she was going to refer the case to the Probation Service for a report, and she would sit again for sentencing on October 31.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: After 13 years, Margaret Loftus receives justice
Margaret Loftus's father sat beside her in the witness box, just as he had stood at her side 13 years ago when she told her husband that their marriage was over. The latter occasion was on October 31, 2012, some eight hours after her husband Trevor Bolger had assaulted her in front of their children. Both Margaret and her husband were members of An Garda Síochána at that time. On Wednesday, when called to give her victim impact statement, she left her place in the public gallery, her father Michael at her side. He held her hand as they walked to the witness box where both sat down. The garda detective who investigated the assault, Rioghnach O'Sullivan, settled them in, made sure they were comfortable, and asked whether they would like a glass of water. Earlier, the detective had told the court that the assault had occurred in Margaret's childhood home in Co Mayo, to where the couple had visited from Dublin for a family occasion. The following morning Margaret had woken her father and asked him to stand beside her when she told Bolger that their marriage was over. Michael Loftus did as his daughter requested, and on that morning she left one life in a sump of despair to embark on a new one. It was to take 12 before the wheel of justice would turn in her favour. In the witness box, Margaret Loftus put on a pair of glasses, moved towards the microphone, and began talking in a clear voice, determined that she would get through this testimony, for, as she was to relate, herself, her children, and any other victim of domestic violence. Sitting in the areas reserved for defendants, Trevor Bolger looked into the middle distance with faraway eyes, like a man who was being forced to live through a past he would rather forget. In the witness box, Margaret Loftus put on a pair of glasses, moved towards the microphone, and began talking in a clear voice, determined that she would get through this testimony, for, as she was to relate, herself, her children, and any other victim of domestic violence. Picture: Collins Courts On April 28 last, he pleaded guilty to assault, under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act. That was on the day that his trial was due to begin. At two interviews with investigating gardaí he had denied assaulting his wife of the time. Then, a few weeks before he was due to go on trial, he admitted it in a plea deal. Two other charges, of coercive control and threatening to kill were dropped, entered as nolle prosequi. Wednesday was his victim's day. Margaret Bolger told the court that during the assault her children were her main concern. 'I would have taken any kind of battering once they were safe. The fear I felt during the assault was heightened by the knowledge that my children were present,' she said. 'This assault on this fateful night was so violent and terrifying it ended our marriage,' she said. She went on to thank those who had helped her along the way particularly her husband Hugh 'who found me shattered and broken'. Then she finished with a clarion call to anybody who is, or was, going through what she had experienced. 'Trevor Bolger you did your level best to break me and my children,' she said. 'You made me suffer every single day since I left you after this assault but I want you to know you haven't broken me. As a victim of domestic violence I would like to urge all other victims to come forward no matter how much someone like Trevor Bolger tries to abuse you. There is always a better life waiting if you can find your voice. Here and there, while she related her experience, her voice threatened to break. But she held it together, drawing strength from the presence of her father beside her. There was a silence of respect in court 22 as she got up from the chair, helped her father to his feet, walked past the defendant and back to the heart of the family that had come to support her. Judge Martina Baxter heard pleas of mitigation and made some queries as to what rehabilitation Trevor Bolger had undergone. Taking everything into account she said she was going to refer the case to the Probation Service for a report, and she would sit again for sentencing on October 31.
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Jules Thomas reveals battle with 'incurable illness'
Jules Thomas, the ex-partner of Ian Bailey, has revealed she has been battling an 'incurable illness' since 2021. The painter was in a relationship with the English native, who was the prime suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, for more than 30 years with the relationship ending in 2021. Ms Thomas has now revealed her diagnosis which she said she received shortly after the release of a Netflix documentary on the Toscan Du Plantier case. Jules Thomas, the ex-partner of Ian Bailey, has revealed she has been battling an 'incurable illness' since 2021. Pic: Collins Courts The three-part series, Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, drew complaints from Mr Bailey when it began airing, as well as Ms Thomas who described it as a 'piece of self-serving demonising propaganda.' In 2022, it was revealed that Thomas would be suing both Netflix and the production company, Lightbox Media, and director/ writer of the series, John Dower. Earlier this year, it was reveled that celebrity lawyer Gerald Kean had stepped in to help Thomas with her ongoing legal battle with the lawyer providing his services on a no-foal, no-fee basis. Jules Thomas was in a relationship with the English native, who was the prime suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, for more than 30 years with the relationship ending in 2021. Pic: Collins Courts Ms Thomas claimed there was unauthorised filming of her home during the making of the 2021 documentary. She alleged that the series contained 'glaring inaccuracies, fabrications and falsehoods' which resulted in her being treated as a 'social pariah.' Both companies are fully defending her claims. The three-part series, Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, drew complaints from Mr Bailey when it began airing, as well as Mr Thomas who described it as a 'piece of self-serving demonising propaganda.' Pic: REX/Shutterstock Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Ms Thomas revealed she had been battling an 'incurable illness' since shortly after the release of the show in 2021. 'It's not public knowledge but my daughters know,' she shared, 'I began to feel unwell around the time the Netflix documentary came out. 'My immune system became very low. I was picking up every cold and flu.' Ms Thomas added: 'I'm feeling fine. I tire easily. I've a big garden I do it on my own. I've an acre of grass to cut, I've about 10,000 plants in pots.'
Sunday World
05-06-2025
- Sunday World
Convicted rapist who harassed three Sunday World journalists jailed
Mark McAnaw, previously of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty to the harassment of Ms Tallant, Ms Brunker and Ms Reynolds on various dates in August 2023. Amanda Brunker and Deirdre Reynolds speaking to media following the sentence hearing of Mark McAnaw in the circuit court in Dublin. Photo: Collins Courts A convicted rapist who threatened and harassed three female Sunday World journalists has been jailed for 11 years. Mark McAnaw (53) refused to enter a bond before a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court which would have suspended the final 12 months of the 11-year sentence imposed for the harassment of Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker and Deirdre Reynolds. After Judge Pauline Codd had outlined the conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence today, McAnaw's counsel Rebecca Smith BL said her client did not wish to enter the bond as he found the conditions 'onerous'. As a result, the judge imposed the full 11-year sentence. Judge Codd also ordered that McAnaw should have no contact either directly or indirectly with the women, should not approach them, go within 10 miles of their homes and workplaces or communicate with them for life. McAnaw, previously of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty to the harassment of Ms Tallant, Ms Brunker and Ms Reynolds on various dates in August 2023. Amanda Brunker and Deirdre Reynolds speaking to media following the sentence hearing of Mark McAnaw in the circuit court in Dublin. Photo: Collins Courts The court heard McAnaw repeatedly sent the three women emails and messages of a violent and sexually threatening nature, which escalated to him threatening to put a 'bullet' in Ms Reynolds. He also referred to himself as an 'IRA Top Boy'. He also turned up at the offices of the Sunday World on Talbot Street and, when refused entry, he went to a cafe across the road. When gardai approached him there, McAnaw was in the process of writing an email to Ms Tallant. McAnaw is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH). McAnaw does not accept his diagnosis of schizophrenia and has declined to take medication, the court was told. His previous convictions include the rape of a foreign student in Donegal in October 2010, for which he was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2012. McAnaw also has a 1989 conviction for kidnapping and convictions for assaults causing actual bodily harm from a court in Northern Ireland in 2011. He also has a conviction for aggravated assault after attacking a woman in her home in April 2018, for which he received a sentence of eight years and four months in June 2023. This sentence was backdated to 2018 when he went into custody, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years on strict conditions. McAnaw was released from custody on this sentence in July 2023 – one month before the harassment of the three journalists took place. Mark McAnaw News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 Ms Smith said her client instructs that he found it difficult to abide by the conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence imposed in 2023. A handwritten letter from McAnaw was also handed to the court, which Judge Codd described as 'concerning'. Judge Codd noted that social media and online communication makes it easier to target journalists and others in public facing roles. The judge noted women in the public eye are often targeted online and subjected to 'base and lewd threats and comments', which accelerated with the advent of social media. Judge Codd said it is important that 'in a democracy, free speech and freedom of press must be rightly defended' and an aggravating feature of the case was the targeting of female journalists with 'threats of a highly graphic nature'. The judge said general deterrence was necessary and that the 'message goes out' that there are criminal laws which can and will be enforced. She said it was aggravating that McAnaw harassed the women in the context of their work, which potentially impacted their constitutional rights to earn a living and bodily integrity. Judge Codd said the court also had to consider the issue of protection of the public, given McAnaw's history of violent offending, the evidence of his failure to follow medical advice and his consumption of illicit substances, including cannabis. The judge said the need to protect the public 'can't be an end in itself', adding that preventative detention is not permitted by law in Ireland. But Judge Codd said the protection of society was a factor alongside other sentencing principles that the court could have regard to when constructing a proportionate sentence. She added that the fact that 'an offender is a danger to public, which is borne out by evidence, can justify a sentence towards the higher end of the scale'. The judge noted McAnaw's mental health difficulties and that he declines to take anti-psychotic medication 'reserved for most serious cases of schizophrenia'. The judge said McAnaw also has a history of substance misuse and inconsistent past engagement with community mental health services. The judge said McAnaw is assessed at high risk of violent and sexual re-offending. She said the court would give no discount on the headline sentence for his mental health issues, as he had contributed to them by declining to follow medical advice and by taking illicit substances. Judge Codd said the escalating nature of the messages sent was aggravating and, in relation to Ms Reynolds, these included a threat to kill. The judge said while the offences occurred over a short period of time, this had less weight due to McAnaw's status as a violent offender, which would have exacerbated the concern felt by the injured parties. Judge Codd noted the mitigation including McAnaw's guilty pleas and his background. She outlined a global sentence of 11 years, with the final 12 months to be suspended on strict conditions for five years. These included that McAnaw remain under probation supervision for five years, comply with his medical regime, refrain from the use of illicit substances and make available any internet-enabled devices when requested by gardai. The judge backdated the sentence to August 2023, when McAnaw went into custody. Ms Brunker and Ms Reynolds were both present in court when the sentence was imposed. Probation and forensic psychological reports were handed to the court. Ms Smith told the court her client does not accept the diagnosis of a mental illness and has remained drug-free since entering the CMH in October 2023. Judge Codd commended the three women for their resilience and courage throughout the process and wished them well for the future. She directed McAnaw to appear at a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court later this month in relation to the breach of conditions imposed as part of a suspended sentence.
Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer urges women to continue screening and get vaccinated
A Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer, following two misdiagnosed smear tests, says she still urges women to attend regular screenings and get vaccinated. Mother-of-two Leona Macken received an apology from the HSE at the High Court on Tuesday after two of her smear tests — first in 2016 and again in 2020 — were misread. The 38-year-old hairdresser said she has since been overwhelmed with messages of support from the public, and that the apology meant 'the world' to her. She told the Irish Examiner: 'I still want women and young girls to get their vaccinations and to have their smears done. 'I paid privately for my first smear at 21 years old. I was always conscious of this'. She said taking the case to the High Court was about more than her personal experience — it was to highlight that the national cervical screening programme is 'not working properly' and must be 'properly examined.' 'This happened to me two years after Vicky Phelan, this is not ok, things need to be properly examined, how did this happen again?'. Leona Macken settled her legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Following the High Court apology on Wednesday, Ms Macken appeared on Newstalk Breakfast and RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne before heading to hospital for chemotherapy. 'They (the HSE) has publicly said they have failed me, there were failures in the system that led to my stage 4 diagnosis' she said. 'I read the apology before it was read in court, and I was really happy with that. But I know it's not easy to get an apology and it's rare and that was really so important to me and my husband and our children and our family'. Ms Macken has been documenting her journey on social media in recent months. 'Having a smear is so important' she said. 'I get so many messages from women telling me they had a smear and are now having a biopsy or laser treatment because they have abnormal cells. 'I wish I had that opportunity' she continued. 'But I didn't, and instead I discovered I was at stage 1, then stage 3 and now stage 4. 'My abnormal cells were missed and I missed a chance to treat them. I really wish I had that chance to have stopped it in its tracks that's why I say to people, get your smear done." She added: 'I will make sure my daughters get their vaccines, I am speaking for them and for the other women who are going to be possibly missed in the system too. 'I trusted the system, but it let me down. Someone needs to investigate why it's going wrong'. Leona Macken and her husband Alan settled their legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Medical negligence solicitor Cian O'Donnell, who has represented several women affected by screening failures, supported her call. 'Leona Macken is right to encourage people to use the system, because screening does work. 'It didn't work for her, unfortunately, but Leona is clear in her message to other women and that is to engage with regular screenings and look after your health." He added: "The Minister for Health and the HSE and those in charge need to be honest with themselves and not to have this blind insistence that this programme is working. 'Not a single patient in the cervical screening programme has been investigated – Vicky Pelan's screen was never investigated. 'We need to look at the individual screeners and follow the patterns and audits must be done, but that has not happened and that is not norm in laboratories.'
