*Kilrush.
A MOTHER of a 16-year old boy charged in connection with an alleged knife attack that inflicted head-wounds on another male which required 80 stitches is now herself facing two charges arising from the same incident.
In the case, the 38-year old West Clare woman is charged with a weapons offence and an alleged assault during the same incident in Kilrush on June 13th last where her son is accused of stabbing a 25-year old man, Jeffrey Ryan.
A court has previously heard that the mother drove her son to the scene of the alleged knife assault on June 13th last.
The woman cannot be named as that would lead to the identification of her co-accused and son who is a minor and cannot be identified.
Arising from the street incident, the teenager is charged with assault causing harm of Jeffrey Ryan at Francis Street, Kilrush contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act on June 13th last.
The 16-year old is also charged with producing a large kitchen knife during the course of a dispute at the same location on the same date contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett has transferred the case against the mother to the Circuit Court after viewing CCTV footage of the incident in which her son is alleged to have stabbed the man.
The CCTV footage also shows the mother close to the scene and refusing district court jurisdiction in the mother’s case, Judge Gabbett said, “It is too serious to deal with here and warrants refusal of jurisdiction of this court”.
The case against the teenager is to also go before Ennis Circuit Court and Judge Gabbett said that it is “very likely” that two trials against mother and son “will run together”.
The investigating Garda in the two cases against mother and son, Garda Bríon Dolan presented the CCTV evidence to the court.
Judge Gabbett said that his decision concerning jurisdiction relates to the knife charge.
In the case, the mother is charged with threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in the course of a dispute and producing a kitchen carving knife capable of inflicting serious injury in a manner to unlawfully intimidate another person, contrary to section 11 Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.
The mother is also charged with assaulting Ava Moloney on June 13th at Francis Street, Kilrush contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. The woman’s son is also charged with the assault of Ava Moloney at the same location on the same date.
Both Ms Moloney and Mr Ryan are originally from Croom in Co Limerick.
After viewing the CCTV footage, Judge Gabbett said, “Can we go back to where the tussle starts and to see where the knife transfers from the minor to an adult?
After seeing the very brief footage for a second time, Judge Gabbett said, “That is fine. Okay – as I suspected.”
Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to November 5th 2025 to Ennis District Court for the serving of the Book of Evidence and the mother remains on bail until the next date in court.
