Latest news with #SundayWorld
Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Influencer accused of harassing mum of John George murder suspect ignores court
Ash Mac as she goes by on social media – was a leading campaigner in the search for 37-year-old John George. This is the woman accused of harassing the mother of John George murder suspect Jonny Smyth but who has failed to turn up to court. Ashling MacCarthy is listed in court papers alongside the murder victim's father Billy George and his brother Darren – all three are accused of harassing Dawn Smyth. MacCarthy – or Ash Mac as she goes by on social media – was a leading campaigner in the search for 37-year-old John George after he went missing in Spain in the middle of December. John George disappeared in December in the Alicante area. His remains were found in January following extensive appeals from the family and friends who travelled out to search for his body. John George The father of two was shot and his body was left in a rural area in the Alicante region around December 14 but his body wasn't discovered for several weeks. Back in Belfast, Ashling MacCarthy — a mum of two from Dunmurry — started up fundraisers for the George family campaign, including selling £20 T-shirts with pictures of John's face and a GoFundMe page which raised tens of thousands of pounds. She's pictured at protests in Belfast alongside James Burns – a convicted woman beater who was recently released from prison for turning up to hospital with a hammer which he said he had as he feared he would be attacked by Muslims. But MacCarthy has repeatedly accused Dawn Smyth on social media of being involved in covering up the murder of John George — something the Spanish police have completely discounted. Jonny Smyth And despite being fully aware of the proceedings against her, Ashling has failed to attend any of the hearings so far or had legal representation there on her behalf. Earlier this week John's father Billy George was listed to appear at the civil court at Laganside and, as reported here previously, Mr George, along with his other son Darren who's also facing the same allegation, have said they will fight the harassment claims vigorously. All three named defendants are subject to an interim injunction banning them from 'harassing' Dawn Smyth in any way. But the court heard on Tuesday that while the Georges were engaged with the proceedings, Ashling MacCarthy had not engaged in any form despite receiving the necessary court documents. The court was also told about a pipe bomb attack on the home of Dawn Smyth at the end of April. The Sunday World contacted Dawn Smyth once again about the proceedings but she said she did not want to comment. Proof that Ashling MacCarthy is fully aware of the legal case against her is shown by the fact she has posted on social media about it — laughing about it and saying it won't keep her silent. In fact in one post she says she has 'all the time to go to court' but so far has not attended one hearing. Dawn Smyth This week the court heard how Billy George had submitted a replying affidavit to the allegations but more time was needed for his son Darren to file similar. But when the third named defendant was mentioned — Ashling MacCarthy — the court was told they had nothing from her and if she continued to refuse to engage, a final order might be made against her in her absence. She sold T-shirts and helped raise money for the George family but she also relentlessly targeted Dawn Smyth and Jonny's partner Maddison Allen. On social media she repeatedly accused Dawn and Maddison of being involved in covering up the murder of John George without ever showing any evidence to back up her wild claims. Billy George, who campaigned for justice for his son John, is also facing a similar harassment case taken by Carly Allen, the mother of Jonny Smyth's partner Maddison Allen. Speaking in advance of the injunction harassment cases, he said: 'I welcome the chance to meet these groundless allegations head on. They've been taken to try and intimidate me. 'Not only will they fail to do that but it will give me a chance to raise my own concerns. I feel emboldened by this latest attempt to stop me getting justice for my son. 'I really think the people behind this litigation may well rue the day they decided to take me on in court.' His legal representatives KRW Law added: 'He wants to make it clear there is absolutely no basis for what he sees are completely vexatious proceedings. 'He feels strongly that they have been taken as part of a concerted plan to try and stop him seeking the truth about his son's murder.'
Sunday World
8 hours ago
- Sunday World
Criminal gang linked to fake licences were also selling bogus road certificates
Huge implications for public safety as it emerges scores of motorists have no licences or road-worthy cars A criminal gang rumbled for running a 'cash-for-licence' driving scam were also offering fake MOT (Ministrt of Transport) certificates, we can reveal. And it has further emerged that several dissident republicans from west Belfast have been identified as being behind the fake licences scandal. Last week, we revealed how a criminal investigation had been opened into a worrying racket which saw around 80 fake licences revoked following claims they had been obtained without the drivers having to sit the test. Now it has emerged that as well as dodgy driving licences being allegedly 'bought', drivers were also able to purchase an MOT certificate for cars that were never even put through the rigorous MOT test. Mechanic examining under the car at the repair garage. Low angle view. High quality photo News in 90 Seconds - May 31st It means not only were there scores of illegal drivers who potentially may never have even taken a lesson let alone a driving test on the roads of Northern Ireland, but there may have been dozens of cars not fit for purpose out there too. Last week, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said she was 'extremely concerned' by the revelations. Speaking at Stormont, the Sinn Féin MLA did not provide further details on the extent of the alleged fraud. 'There is a legal investigation. I think it would be remiss of me to comment on that, to allow that process to take its course,' she said. 'But obviously I'm extremely concerned to learn about that and I hope that we see a conclusion to that very quickly.' The Sunday World has uncovered further details about the scam including how the gang began operating towards the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Liz Kimmins. Photo: Pacemaker 'This was a well thought-out criminal enterprise which exploited the restrictions of the pandemic,' said a source. 'When people weren't allowed to leave their houses and everything went online there was an opportunity to exploit the DVA licence system. 'But it wasn't just driving licences – fake MOTs could be bought for £150. It was all about knowing the right people who could pull the strings.' Several of those who availed of the service came from the Lenadoon area of west Belfast and sources have told the Sunday World some of them had criminal backgrounds and some were known dissident republicans. However, those benefiting from the fake licences weren't restricted to west Belfast and were mostly living in the greater Belfast area. As revealed last week, one person from the DVA has been removed from their position as a result of the discovery of the scam. As well as a police investigation, the DVA have opened their own internal investigation into how the scam was carried out under their noses. In fact, they have even set up an internal investigations unit and made it clear to staff working for them that they are duty-bound to report any suspicious activity. Last Tuesday, the DUP's Deborah Erskine, chair of the Assembly's infrastructure committee, said the 'implications for road safety are huge'. 'Effectively that means that, right now in Northern Ireland, there are potentially people who are driving with a licence without having sat their test,' she told the Assembly. DUP's Deborah Erskine. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty She also said it was 'important that assurances are given immediately to the A ssembly and to the public on how it is being handled'. A Department for Infrastructure official told the Sunday World last week: 'As this matter is subject to a PSNI investigation we cannot comment at this time.' A PSNI spokesperson told us: 'Police are investigating a number of alleged fraud offences in relation to the issuing of driving licences. We are working closely with officials from DVA and as the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' In the last few weeks the DVA has been sending out letters to people they suspect may have obtained their licence fraudulently – telling them they must send them back and reapply to do the driving test again. And we understand some drivers have already reapplied and passed the test. Our source said they were not required to sit the theory test. 'It's no wonder they were able to get a licence again so quickly as they have been driving without doing a driving test for so long,' the source said. 'They've had plenty of practice.' The letter stated: 'The Department is not satisfied that the test pass certificate (certificate number) issued to you on (date in May 2024) was validly obtained by you. 'Therefore, the department is not satisfied that you have passed a test of competence as required by the provisions of Article 5 of the Road Traffic Northern Ireland Order 1981 and in those circumstances the Department may not grant you a full driving licence. 'The Department is therefore satisfied that the full driving licence issued to you on (date in May 2024) was issued in error and hereby notifies you... your Northern Ireland driving licence is revoked with effect from five working days after the date shown above.' Those receiving the letters were told they must surrender both parts of their licence within seven days and were advised to use registered post and retain proof of postage. The letter states: 'Failure to surrender a licence without reasonable excuse as an offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. If you fail to surrender your driving licence as directed DVA may contact the PSNI who will be asked to recover the licence. 'You should be aware that it is an offence to retain or use either or both parts of a licence which has been declared lost or stolen.' They were further informed if they want a replacement licence they would have to apply for it from the beginning including the fees. And they warned: 'You should be aware that you're only entitled to hold a provisional driving licence.'
Sunday World
9 hours ago
- Sunday World
The body under the stairs: How Richard Satchwell almost got away with murder
In our latest Special Investigation, the Sunday World looks at the story behind Richard Satchwell's murder of his wife Tina. Richard Satchwell turned to his brother and told him that he was going to marry the Irish teenager when his first saw her. He never forgot the date, the 3rd March 1989, when he laid eyes on the 18-year-old from County Cork. Tina had just arrived to live in England with her grandmother Florence and her uncle Frank who she had grown up with as her brother. She was glamourous and outgoing in contrast to his quiet demeanour. While for him it was love at first sight it took Tina Dingivan a little longer before eventually falling for his personality and the couple became inseparable. But the trouble with this tragic romance story is that that most of it has been told through the words of Richard Satchwell. He is, to understate it, an unreliable narrator. Fast forward to March 2017, Tina who had turned 45 the previous November is dead and buried under the stairs in their home at Grattan Street in Youghal a town on Ireland's south coast. He tells a story of how Tina had left him taking their €26,000 saving, leaving behind her beloved chihuahua Ruby after threatening for years that she would do so. Not only that, but this 5'5' eight stone woman was capable of sudden and capricious violence that he endured in silence for years. He told this story to her family, to the gardaí and to the media during which he made tearful appeals for her to come home all the while known exactly where he had put his wife's now decomposing body For six-and-a-half years he told the same story. He almost got away with murder. The Satchwells earlier in their relationship THE EARLY YEARS Tina had grown up in Beechfield Estate, Fermoy with Florence, across the main road from her niece Lorraine Howard in St Bernard's Place who was three years her junior. They were close friends and spent a lot of time together, making the journey to school together, playing in each other's houses. They were best friends until the day they discovered they were in fact half-sisters. Mary Collins who was Lorriane's mother was also Tina's biological mum and the discovery came as a shock. Approaching her confirmation time, usually when children are 12 years of age in Ireland, Tina got her birth certificate and learned the truth. Lorriane would say in court that Tina was resentful that Lorriane got to be brought up in their mother's and their relationship changed as a result. They would from time to time have rows and even screaming matches. Tina saw it as her having been given away as a child which Lorriane said was not that way at all. When Tina moved to the UK it was part of pattern where Tina would be in her life and then not in her life at all. There were good years and bad years between them and the rows always came back to Tina's sense of being abandoned as a child. Lorraine was aware at some point that Tina had met an Englishman and first met Richard Satchwell with Tina at their mother's house in Fermoy when she would have been aged 15. During their early years together, Tina and Richard would have moved back and forth between England and Ireland, returning to the UK to get married in Oldham on Tina's 20th birthday. Tina Satchwell with her husband Richard from Youghal Co Cork Anyone who knew them and who were called to give evidence at the Central Criminal Court said they were always together. Wherever Tina was going, Richard would also certainly be in her company. Tina didn't drive and mostly didn't work, so she relied on husband to get to where she wanted to be. Lorraine would also say in court that Tina loved her clothes and was high-maintenance something that Richard obviously struggled to cope with, devoted as he was to fulfilling her every wish and that she was the one who wore the trousers. TROUBLE IN PARADISE It seemed their marriage may not have been the idyllic relationship Richard had hoped for. He would later say in a Garda interview that around 1994 he took an overdose of tablets in response to being attacked by Tina who had to call a doctor to their home. He also voluntarily told the gardaí that around 2002 he got into financial trouble and succumbed to the temptation to cash in some stolen cheques. He then went back to the UK where he worked for a while, sending money home to Tina to whom he spoke every night before she came to join him in the UK. He eventually decided to return to Ireland to face up to what he had done and spent a period of time in prison. According to local newspaper records it wasn't the only time he was imprisoned for criminal offences. The Corkman reported how Satchell, described as a self-employed window fitter, had been caught with a stolen and altered tax disc on his car in January 2001, fined €850 and given 10 days behind bars. It was hardly a crime a person would commit if the window fitting business was proving to be a lucrative earner. They moved again back to Fermoy and Glanworth and there was a stint in a city flat in Cork where Tina worked for a short time in a clothes shop. There was tragedy to come for Tina and her extended family who were also dealing with an incident which, according to Lorraine, divided the family straight down the middle. She had not spoken with Tina in the 15 years before her murder in 2017. Tina's brother Tom died by suicide in 2012 which Richard would say left her devastated and changed her moods and personality. From then, he said, their relationship was no longer a sexual one, her moods had become darker and the abrupt violence she would sometimes unleash became worse. The veracity of this description of Tina is known only to Richard, who said he tried to hide her secret and never admitted to being scraped, punched, bitten and cut in what he said were sudden and vicious outbursts. Those he told of the violence said he did so only after she had gone missing in March 2017, while both Lorraine and Sarah said they had never witnessed the behaviour he had described. The only hint was a conversation Sarah overheard as teenager when she walked into a conversation between Tina and her grandmother to hear Tina mention that she had slapped Richard. But she didn't hear the start of the exchange or how it ended and couldn't put those comments in context. Tina Satchwell There were more petty crimes committed by Richard who said he was caught shop-lifting in 2014 and 2016 in Clonmel and Cork city. Their finances were not in good shape and this would later be confirmed in a report by a forensic accountant from the Garda Economic Crime Bureau which detailed how they were overdrawn on both their bank account and their online account with retailer Littlewoods. There was also the strange evidence of €18,000 being collected and sent off again via wire transfer companies that left the couple €8,000 less well-off than what they had started out with. Emails later retrieved from Richard's laptop would later suggest this was a torturous attempt starting in 2015 at adopting two marmoset monkeys named Thelma and Terry from an organisation called International Monkey Rescue. It is not clear exactly what the end goal had been for the Satchwells but it is likely, as suggested in court, they were the victims of a scam. THE MOVE TO YOUGHAL The house they had acquired in Fermoy was sold for €125,000 and they bought a dilapidated three-storey terraced house in Youghal in May 2016. Richard said he had hoped Tina, whose sadness had become worse, would be happier there, a town where she had always liked to walk along the shore. One of the few other things to have lifted her spirits in recent years was their parrot Pearl, which they bough for €450 and so the couple went to live there with the bird and their dogs Ruby and Heidi. They were a quiet living couple, non-drinkers whose main social outlet in life was travelling around Munster to car-boot sales where they bought and sold bric-a-brac and clothes. Richard did the selling while Tina, with Ruby tucked into a Juicy Couture carry case, went bargain hunting for yet more shoes, make-up sets, clothes, hand-bags and whatever fashion accessories were on offer. Her clothes shopping was prodigious and Richard had converted the rooms on the second floor of their Grattan Street house into a walk-in wardrobe with shelves and rails for her collection. In the attic there were boxes of unworn shoes and her favourite Doc Marten boots. Tina was in great form during the Christmas period in December 2016 when she met her cousin Sarah Howard. She would say in court how she was close to Tina who, when she was young, would take her to places, including downtown in Fermoy to have her ears pierced as a five-year-old. They had a great chat when Tina visited Fermoy along with her dogs, little knowing that it would be the last time she would see her. There was another setback for Tina in January, according to Richard, when Pearl the parrot died. They were bereft and cried for weeks and were upset enough that an autopsy was carried out by their vet. By March a new parrot had been found for sale on the internet and despite Richard's caution about getting the exact same type they went ahead and bought the bird on St Valentine's Day, calling it Valentine. As Richard feared the new addition was not as loveable as Pearl, but Tina persisted in trying to train it into the perfect pet Pearl had been. In a phrase repeated by those who gave evidence, the dogs and the parrot were like children to Tina and as with Richard, inseparable. In his statements Richard would say the same and that while had wanted children Tina did not and it was a decision he respected. He said this in the context that he had sacrificed a lot for Tina, having lost all contact with his own family in England because his mother hated the Irish. No 3 Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork, where the Satchwells lived. Photo: Kevin McNulty During their time in Grattan Street Richard continued to work on the house which was over 100 years old and had been empty for some years before they moved in. He had fitted the windows, put in new dry-lining and plastered the walls. He said Tina would sometimes be happy 'rolling away' as they painted the interior. But it was rough and ready with no central heating and a house-proud Tina was not yet ready to receive any guests there. When they would arrive home in the evening from a walk or a drive it would just be them and their pets when the door closed behind them. The casual friends they made on the car-boot sale circuit would recall Tina as a bubbly, outgoing, talkative and friendly. It was one of those people, John Keohane, who was the last person known to have spoken to Tina apart from her husband Richard at the Rathcormac car boot sale on 19 March 2017. His own wife had grown up close to members of the Dingivan family in Fermoy and they always had a few words for each other. The 'lovely' Tina had bought an outfit and some perfume prompting him poke fun that she must have a man lined up for a date. She told him that there was only one man for her and that she loved Richard. THE FINAL NIGHT In an account that he would go on to repeat for six and a half years they left Rathcormac that day and drove home to Youghal. He handed Tina cup of tea and then busied himself emptying the car-boot sale goods from his silver 2005 Limerick-reg Nissan Primera car, according to Richard in a detailed description of their finals hours together he would give in a lengthy Enhanced Cognitive Interview in June 2021 to Detective Sergeant David Noonan. He painted a picture of domestic bliss of a couple so in synch that Richard is able to anticipate her needs as she settles into an unchanging evening routine that bore all the hallmarks of ritual. Unloading the car didn't take too long, Tina had bought very little compared to usual trips to the sales, picking up just a make-up set and a mini fold-up travel hair-dryer. They discussed what pizza to order from Apache Pizza, availing of their €21.99 deal that allowed them to buy two, keeping one for the next day. They settled on one with cajun chicken and mushrooms and the other topped with chicken and sweet corn. He walked to the restaurant to collect the food and two Cokes, returning home to eat in silence. He said that Tina always insisted on no talking while they were eating. He had turned on the immersion heater and next began to run a bath for Tina, a nightly event with plenty of suds and the water hot enough to boil potatoes as Richard put it. As she soaked in the hot water Richard would remove the nail varnish from her toes and then lay two bath towels on the bed ready for Tina. Once out of the bath she would flop on the bed, Richard recalling how the steam rose from her naked body. He then rubbed oil on her body massaging her in silence, spending 30 minutes carefully rubbing each foot, taking particular care on the space between her toes. He would use a file on any hard skin, before leaving to take his own quick bath and to have a shave. On his return Tina was in her pyjamas and ready for sleep, he would bring in Ruby to sleep in her little kennel after checking on Heidi. Some of these details of their final night were added in another interview with gardaí when he was later arrested for murder in October 2023. Tina Satchwell with one of her beloved dogs They snuggled down together to fall asleep wordlessly with Richard waking early the next morning, Monday 20 October 2017, sometime before 6 a.m. which he said has been a life-long habit. Putting on jeans and t-shirt he had a coffee, changed the bird paper in the cage and gave Valentine some fruit. He then went out to the shed where he had been plumbing in a washing machine, working there until around 9 a.m. when the dogs ran into the garden signaling that Tina had gotten out of bed and was downstairs. The version of what happened next is one that Richard clung to and to which he added extra details in the subsequent six and a half years. He went inside making tea and toast for Tina which he brought into her. In a brief conversation she asked him to go Aldi in Dungarvan to buy food for the parrot, such errands being a commonplace task, according to Richard. He changed his clothes and set off for Dungarvan, stopping to light a candle at church in Grange in memory of Florence who had passed away on the same day in 1997 and one for Pearl. He continued on his journey and it was some time around 2p.m. when he opened the door and went back inside Grattan Street. He was surprised to see Tina's keys on the hall floor which he picked up. He then found her phone in the kitchen and presumed she had just gone out and had forgotten to take it. The most unusual thing though was the fact that Tina had left but had not taken Ruby or Heidi with her, a very rare occurrence. As time passed he grew curious and checked the sunbed upstairs in case Tina was there. With no sign of her return he went up stairs again, this time noticing that a box, normally behind Tina's boxes of shoes in the attic room, which contained their €26,000 savings was open and empty. Two suitcases were also gone and it sunk in that Tina had probably left him. The next few days were a blur, he'd tell Det Sgt Noonan, the first night sitting on his 'fat arse' crying as Ruby licked the tears from his face. He thought she would come back and likely had just gone to Fermoy, staying with family there. The following Friday, 24 March, he had an appointment with his doctor in Fermoy and while there he called to Tina's relatives in the town who hadn't seen her. He decided to walk into Fermoy Garda Station to tell then that Tina and gone and he just wanted to find out that she was safer. Conor Gately was on the officer on duty that evening and spoke to Richard who he described as being a matter of fact and not over emotive as he told the version of how she was gone along with the money on his return home. Richard wasn't worried that she was at risk of self-harm and suggested she had left the dogs behind to make it easier for her find accommodation. Garda Gately said he advised him to file a missing person's report and entered the details of what Richard had reported on the garda Pulse system. THE LIES 2017 – 2021 That Friday is the first day that someone other than Richard Satchwell knew that Tina was gone and her cousin Sarah Howard immediately rang Tina's phone when she heard the news. When it went unanswered she tried to call Richard who eventually called her back and she asked what had happened and why the dogs weren't with Tina. He told her that they had an argument and had thrown a cup at him and the day before she disappeared had told him she had wasted 28 years of her life with, something that Sarah said she had never heard before. Tina Satchwell In the following weeks she texted Richard to ask for any news who in turn had asked her to make contact with relatives to see if they had heard from Tina. Strangely, one text from Richard was a question asking if she wanted a chest freezer he wanted to off-load. She didn't reply. In court she'd later say it was unusual because Richard wasn't the type to give something away and cited an instance at a car boot sale when her children picked up a CD and a nail varnish from his stall he charged them both 50 cent each. Gardaí in Youghal learned of the report made to their colleagues and sought to follow up with Richard but had initially been unable to catch him at home until 2 May. When Garda Thomas Keane did get an answer at the house he spoke to Satchwell at the door who repeated the story of how she had left but he was not overly concerned and expected her to return home when she had cleared her head. Like his colleague in Fermoy the officer advised him to make a missing person's report. The officer also carried out a social welfare check to see if she had signed on to collect benefits anywhere else, but nothing was found. On 11 May, Richard finally heeds the advice to report Tina missing and made a statement to Garda James Butler in which he added that Tina had run up debts and probably suffered from an undiagnosed psychiatric condition which had been getting worse over the years and she had become more volatile and was violent towards him. Tina was more likely to lash out than harm herself, he told the garda. He also said that Tina had always told him that in the event of her leaving he would get the guards after him if he tried to find her. Satchwell expanded on his story that he had suffered violence at Tina's hands in a more detailed statement a few days later. He told Garda Aidan Dardis she could fly off the handle and veer from telling him she hated him to falling into his arms in the next. He was a walkover and she wore the trousers according to Richard, and her mood had worsened since Tom's death. At least three or four times a year he was subjected to real violence that left him bloodied and scarred. Tina was already dead at this time and now he was bent on assassinating her character. With investigation upgraded to a missing person report the gardaí carried out a trawl of CCTV, made house to house enquiries, ran a social media campaign and put out media appeals which were ultimately fruitless, according the Sergeant in Charge at Youghal, John Sharkey. A decision was taken that there was a possible criminal element to the case. Tina Satchwell It fell to him seek a search warrant from the District Court on the grounds that an assault causing harm may have taken place at the Satchwells' house. On 7 June, 48 days after Richard said Tina had left, a divisional search squad went into the property. Satchwell was on the road and not at home and was told by phone the search was going ahead. Officers who entered described it as being in a shambles. Crime scenes investigator Cathal Whelan said the house was untidy, unkempt, there was dog faeces on the floor, the bird cage was dirty and there were dishes that appeared not to have been washed in a long time. The second-floor room was crammed with Tina's clothes including unopened packages. Other officers took laptops and documents from the house in the search which otherwise yielded little in terms of clues at that stage as to Tina's whereabouts. Later in the evening a member of the Forensic Technical Bureau arrived and used Blue Star, a chemical that illuminates any trace of blood but there was nothing there to be found. The next day Richard Satchwell went into Midelton Garda Station to give another statement where this time he was met by Sgt Daniel Holland and again Richard took the opportunity to express his love for Tina while at the same time pointing out what he said was her deteriorating mental health and her violence which included being twice knocked unconscious by her. 'I took her abuse because she was in pain from life, she isn't a bad person and I don't want to paint her that way,' said Richard. He knew gardaí had been in contact with Tina's half-sister and mother Mary Collins and when he learned they had been asked if he had been violent to Tina he told Det Sgt Holland he was shocked and felt sick. 'I am destroyed by this, I just want Tina back.' Asked about the mysterious money transfers he said that it was all explained in the emails which the gardaí would be able to see on his laptop. To continue our examination of the Satchwell murder, you can read part two right here .
Sunday World
14 hours ago
- Sunday World
Fugitive who mowed down pedestrian is still on run despite claims he would return
His family told the Sunday World he would be back in three weeks but he has now been on the run for more than seven weeks. A MAN who fled Ireland for Moldova on the eve of his sentence for causing catastrophic injuries to a man he ran over remains on the run weeks after his family said he would return to Ireland to serve his sentence. A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Mihail Trofim on April 11 after he failed to turn up to Dublin Circuit Court to be sentenced for careless driving causing serious bodily harm and driving without insurance on June 8, 2022, at the Old Navan Road, Blanchardstown. The Sunday World called to his home that week and his family bizarrely claimed he fled Ireland for Moldova for hospital treatment as the queues were too long in A&E in Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. His family told the Sunday World he would be back in three weeks but he has now been on the run for more than seven weeks. His decision to flee means if he ever does return he risks having more time added to his sentence. The Sunday World tried to contact Trofim on his phone and through social media this week but he did not respond. He had actually turned up for sentencing on April 10 but the sentence was adjourned to the next day and it was during this period he fled. Mihail Trofim posing with a Porsche SU The court was told Trofim had attended hospital due to a medical condition. The court was later told gardai had made enquiries and could not then locate Trofim at the hospital. A warrant was issued for his arrest. His sister told the Sunday World at the time that Trofim left the country and claimed he travelled to Moldova for hospital treatment because the wait was took long in Blanchardstown Hospital. 'He has his surgery on his leg. He is in hospital. He is in our country in Moldova. He will be about three weeks before he is back. 'He will be back. He knows.' She claimed that he took ill after attending court on April 10. 'After the court on Thursday he was shocked and he has low blood pressure and has varicose on his leg. The vein just boom, you know. Asked why he would travel all the way to Moldova and not just go to hospital in Dublin, his sister said: 'He was in Blanchardstown in the emergency department but you know you have to wait there and the GP said maybe it's better you go to Moldova.' People with varicose veins are advised against travelling long distances due to the potential of blood clots. Trofim's sister said her brother was distraught with causing the injuries to his victim. The victim, who attended court in a wheelchair, required emergency life-saving surgery, was unconscious for 14 weeks after the accident and still doesn't remember the two years before it. He has been left with a brain injury and can no longer play his musical instruments or paint. In a victim impact statement read on behalf of his mother, the court was told the victim feels 'robbed of the life he had' and trapped. 'I'm encapsulated in a body that doesn't work as it should,' the victim said. 'I'm no longer able to do the things that made me happy.' A number of medical reports were handed in to the court, which showed that the injured man sustained life-threatening injuries, along with broken arms, legs and ribs. He spent a year and a day in hospital, including in the National Rehabilitation Hospital. He has been left with double vision, slurred speech, memory difficulties and impaired use of his limbs. He also requires the assistance of a wheelchair and constant care from his family, especially his mother, who moved counties to care for him. Trofim said he didn't see the pedestrian crossing the road due to sunshine. His sister said this week he was distraught over causing the injuries to the victim. 'I was reading the case and the comments below are so rude 'My brother didn't want to do this. Nobody wants to do this. Three years my brother was thinking about this person. I was thinking as well. We wanted to go to him but the solicitor said we cant go to help him and apologise. He said were not allowed to do this.' She claimed at the time that he would be back in three weeks but seven weeks on he remains at large. 'He will be back and he will do his sentence,' she said.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Sean McGovern is in ‘complete isolation' in Irish jail after feud murder charge
'For now he is not allowed to interact with any other prisoners – he is in a single cell in a contained area where he will stay for 23 hours a day.' Kinahan chief Sean McGovern is on a 'complete isolation' regime in Portlaoise Prison where he was remanded to last night by the Special Criminal Court. The Sunday World has learnt that he is at the 'number one level of threat' within the entire Irish prison system and everything he does is being constantly monitored by prison officers. 'He is in a special area of Ireland's highest security prison –in time he will be moved to a different area within the jail but not out of Portlaoise,' a source explained. News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'For now he is not allowed to interact with any other prisoners – he is in a single cell in a contained area where he will stay for 23 hours a day. 'He will be allowed one hour of exercise on his own if he wishes to take that up – this will be highly supervised and again he will not be given the opportunity to interact with other prisoners when this happens. 'What jail authorities are dealing with here are two very serious issues – one is the perceived threat against the individual from his enemies – namely the Hutch organised crime gang. 'His personal safety within the jail system is of profound importance to the State when you consider the magnitude and significance of the criminal charges he is facing. 'The other big issue here is that it has to be ensured that the individual is given absolutely no chance to embark on any criminal activity while in custody. 'In simple language he is in the most secure place within Ireland's most secure prison,' the source said. When contacted by the Sunday World a spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said: 'We cannot comment on individual prisoners cases.' Crumlin man McGovern (39) was extradited from Dubai and landed in Dublin on a military plane last night before being brought to the Special Criminal Court last night. He is the alleged highest ranking member of the Kinahan cartel to face charges here. He is charged with the murder of Christopher - aka Noel - Kirwan on St Ronan's Drive in Clondalkin, Dublin on 22 December 2016. He is also charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in connection with Kirwan's murder between 20 October and 22 December 2016, and facilitating Kirwan's murder. Separately, McGovern is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in relation to the monitoring of the activity of James Gately between 17 October 2015 and 6 April 2017, both dates inclusive. He is also charged with participating in activity with conspiracy to murder senior Hutch gangster James Gately between those dates. McGovern was extradited from the United Arab Emirates via an Irish Air Corps CASA aircraft last night. He was detained in Dubai in October last year. It followed the issuing of an Interpol Red Notice. A warrant had been issued for McGovern's arrest in connection with the murder of Noel Kirwan in December 2016. The gang's leadership continues to reside in the emirate, although there are concerns that they could now move to a state more hostile to Western interests on the back of Mcgovern's extradition. The Irish Independent previously highlighted the cartel's close links to Iran.
