You're a dead woman, daughter told mother
Marie Devane (55), who currently lives in Castleconnell, Co Limerick, is alleged to have made the threat after she pushed her mother down onto a couch at her home in Limerick City Centre on January 20.
Ms Devane's brother John is one of Limerick's best-known solicitors.
CRIME FAMILIES
Aside from the slopping-out case he is taking on behalf of prisoners, he has also represented some of the city's most high-profile crime families, including relatives of murdered crime boss Kieran Keane. He represented Dessie Dundon in his trial for Keane's murder.
Yesterday at the Circuit Civil Court in Limerick, Marie Devane gave an undertaking to stay away from her mother Anne-Nancy Devane, her brother John, his partner Julieann Stanley and the couple's one year-old baby Jessica. This was without any admission of liability. Before the case was settled, however, Mrs Devane revealed that she is "terrified" of her daughter.
The 78-year-old was seeking a restraining order against her daughter.
The court heard that the family dispute arose after Ms Devane, whose mother was seeking an injunction restraining her from contacting her in the future, was served with an order to quit her brother's home where she had been living.
Ms Devane's defence counsel Elva Duffy said her client had gone to her mother's home to remonstrate as she felt she was not getting support from her. Her mother said she became frustrated with her daughter's procrastination regarding her employment and that she was lazing about on a couch too much.
She said her daughter was "taking advantage" of her son, but said she had become terrified after her daughter turned on her.
"Once she had come in and got into my place, put her face in mine, threw me back on the settee and told me I was a dead woman, and said it twice, that terrified me," she said. "What she did to me hurt me so much that I can never and will never forget it."
"I myself made the decision to come to court. I don't want to see her near me. I wanted to proceed with a criminal prosecution but we heard then that it wasn't going to happen," she added.
However, Ms Duffy said her client contended she never uttered such a threat to her mother.
In addition to the undertaking to stay away from the plaintiffs, Ms Devane also had an apology read out in court on her behalf to John Devane and his partner Ms Stanley, saying she was sorry for any hurt or distress caused.
- Eugene Hogan
