High Court proceedings brought by U2 bass guitarist Adam Clayton against his former housekeeper and personal assistant who has allegedly misappropriated €1.8 million have been adjourned to next year.
Last Friday the rock star secured a High Court freezing order order restraining Ms Carol Hawkins, Crannagh Road, Dublin 14 from lowering her assets below £1.8 million.
It has been claimed that the money was used for Ms Hawkins, who the court heard had her employment with Mr Clayton terminated last month, and her family’s benefit.
It was also claimed that it appeared following an investigation that an apartment had been bought in New York and some €900 per month was spent on a syndicate which maintained horses.
Today when the matter was before Mr Justice Roderick Murphy the court heard from Paul Sreenan SC for Mr Clayton, Kellystown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin, that the matter could be put back to Monday January 18th next.
Counsel said that it had been agreed between the parties that the terms of the orders secured last week could be varied. These include that Ms Hawkins would provide a list of assets and their approximate value instead of their value within seven days.
The order also allowed for €1,000 for Ms Hawkin’s living and legal expenses. Counsel said that if the defendant wished to spend more than that it could be agreed between the parties rather than have come back to court.
Previously the court heard that in September 2008 when Ms Hawkins had come to Mr Clayton and confessed she had misappropriated some €13,000 of his money. He had dealt with this in “a compassionate manner” and had altered his financial arrangements accordingly and kept her on in employment.
However, it had emerged since then that Ms Hawkins, without the authorisation of Mr Clayton, had used his debit and credit cards for her own use and for her family’s benefit, counsel said.
On November 19th last, when the allegations were put to her, she had accepted the cards had been used and money was taken without Mr Clayton’s authorisation but she had disputed the sums involved,counsel said. Her employment had been terminated. Certain matters had been referred to the gardai, counsel added.
Counsel said Ms Hawkins had denied she had bought a house, cars or flashy jewellery. When it was suggested to her she had been withdrawing about €600 twice daily for a period of 13 months, she said she had used it as needed. She also acknowledged she had lodged some money into her own bank account and had breached her contract.
Mr Sreenan also said an investigation revealed flights to Chicago were purchased for her son and members of a band in which he was involved and these bookings were not authorised by Mr Clayton.
An investigation by two accountants, including Kieran Wallace of KPMG, had reported that sums of up to €1.8 million seemed to have been misappropriated, counsel added. It appeared an apartment in New York had been bought and Mr
Clayon was concerned assets might be dissipated and that was why he was seeking the assets freezing order