Employers to pay pension to murdered man’s family

The scene in Limerick where Patrick Coleman was found murdered in 2007 - his employers are to pay his family the pension benefits he was entitled to a court has been told
The scene in Limerick where Patrick Coleman was found murdered in 2007 – his employers are to pay his family the pension benefits he was entitled to a court has been told

by Andrew Carey

andrew@limerickpost.ie

THE family of a Limerick murder victim could be waiting for more than 12 years to have his death benefit paid in full because his employers failed to pass his contributions on to the pensions board.

Patrick ‘Happy’ Coleman (33) was murdered by a 15-year-old boy as he walked to his home in Carew Park after watching the Limerick and Kilkenny All Ireland hurling final in September 2007.

He had kicked over a bottle of beer on the path before the teenager followed him and stuck the broken bottle into Mr Coleman’s neck.

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He died from blood loss some hours later.

Mr Coleman had been working for a scaffolding company run by Gerry and Raymond Neilon. In 2007, the company accountant stopped sending the €20 per week deduction from employee wages to the Pensions Board to cover the benefits scheme.

Mr Coleman had been paying into that scheme during his time working for the Neilons but as the payments had not been forward for some six months before his death, the insurer deemed that his policy was not active and refused to pay the €76,100 his family was entitled to.

A solicitor for the family initiated contact with the Pensions Board and this resulted in Gerry and Raymond Neilon being prosecuted for failing to make remittancers to the fund within 21 days of deduction.

At Limerick Circuit Court this week, solicitor for the Pensions Board, Tom Kiely said that both men, who were directors of the company, pleaded guilty to the prosecution initiated at the District Court.

Gerry Neilon with an address at Newtown, Pallasgreen was given a six month jail sentence and a €1,000 fine and a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of his brother.

The severity of both convictions were appealed at the Circuit Court.

Defence solicitor John Devane, said that the two directors had initiated legal proceedings at the High Court where they were suing the company’s former account for breach of duty, but that they had agreed to enter into a €250 monthly payment schedule last July.

Adjourning the case for six months, Judge Tom O’Donnell asked that the Pensions Board be kept informed of the High Court proceedings and that they be notified if the payments could increase in value at any time.

He also granted liberty for the Pensions Board to mention the case at any time should the payments stop.

 

 

 

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