THE High Court yesterday gave a man three months to vacate a house in which he has been living for 49 years or face prison.
Mr Justice Johnson was told a charitable organisation, Strand Trust Ltd, obtained an order in April 1995 for Mr Walter Layton (54) to leave the house at Lower Churchtown Road, Dublin.
The house was owned originally by the Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust and used to accommodate former soldiers of the British army. That trust assigned its interest in the house to Strand Trust Ltd some years ago.
Mr Peter Nolan, counsel for Strand Trust, said Mr Layton had failed to abide by last year's court order for possession of the house and there was now an application before the court for his attachment and committal. When the order was made in April 1995, a stay of six months was agreed.
Mr Layton told the court his father had been in the British army. When his parents died, he had been allowed to stay in the premises for a certain time. He had given up work to look after his mother and after she died, he was told to vacate the premises, but he had nowhere to go.
Mr Justice Johnson said he had to apply the law. He would grant the order sought but put a stay on it until September 17th.