Sentencing has been adjourned in the case of siblings Alison and Bill Chawke who pleaded guilty to assaulting two men at a hotel in Adare, Co Limerick, 2½ years ago.
The two defendants, who are a daughter and son of prominent publican Charlie Chawke, attacked the two innocent victims without provocation at the Dunraven Arms Hotel on November 9th, 2023.
Judgment in the case was due to be heard at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Monday. The case was adjourned to June 3rd to hear a date for sentencing.
Last Thursday, the court heard the two defendants played important roles in the family’s pub business. They had brought “shame” on the Chawke family name.
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The court heard that Alison Chawke (41), a mother of three, bit one of the men, John McHugh (50s) on the left side of his face.
Alison Chawke also delivered a number of kicks at McHugh’s head, as Bill Chawke (31) wrestled with him on the floor of the hotel.
Alison Chawke, of The Beeches, Holywell, Goatstown, Dublin 14, pleaded guilty on a full-facts basis to assault causing harm to McHugh.
Bill Chawke, of Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, admitted on a full-facts basis to assault causing harm to Gerard Cox – a friend of McHugh – at the hotel on the same date.
Following their arrest, the two defendants told gardaí they had consumed 14 drinks between them on the night.
They had perceived, in their intoxication, that Cox and McHugh were staring and smirking at them at the hotel bar, said procuring counsel Lily Buckley, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill.
The assaults were captured on a phone camera as well as the hotel’s CCTV system.
The CCTV and video footage was played in court, showing Alison and Bill Chawke throwing kicks and punches at the two men in the bar and lobby of the hotel.
Buckley said Bill Chawke had demanded to be served food at the bar despite being told by staff that bar food was no longer available as it was after midnight.
Buckley said Cox politely asked Bill Chawke to stop annoying the bar staff; Bill Chawke then approached Cox and got into a verbal altercation with him.
Buckley said Bill Chawke then “lunged” at Cox, subsequently “hitting” him while other patrons at the bar attempted to restrain Chawke. Meanwhile, Alison Chawke, who initially tried to pull her brother away from the scene, began kicking out and swinging her hands at the two victims.
Cox suffered a swollen eyelid, bruising, a black eye, pain in his cheekbone and mental trauma from the incident.
McHugh suffered a bite to his left cheek, abrasions to his face, forehead and ear, soft-tissue damage to his neck and shoulders as well as mental trauma.
Later on, Bill Chawke met gardaí by appointment. Alison Chawke was arrested at the scene as she had initially refused to give gardaí her name because she said she did not want her father to find out what had happened, the court heard.
