THE sentencing of a daughter and son of prominent publican Charlie Chawke, who have both pleaded guilty to assaulting two men at the luxury four-star Dunraven Arms Hotel in County Limerick, has been adjourned to May.
Alison Chawke (41), of The Beeches, Holywell, Goatstown, Dublin 14, admitted assault causing harm to one of the victims, John McHugh, at the hotel in Adare on November 9, 2023.
Bill Chawke (31), of Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Gerard Cox on the same date.
At Limerick Circuit Criminal Court this week, Judge Fiona O’Sullivan adjourned the pre-sentencing hearing to a date next month, when the evidence will be heard.
Alison Chawke is alleged to have gouged the eyes of one of the victims and kicked the other victim in the head a number of times before biting him on the side of his face, a court in Newcastle West heard previously.
The court heard that Ms Chawke allegedly threw a pint glass at the two victims and others who tried to intervene in the assault.
The court heard that Bill Chawke allegedly threw punches at both victims and gouged one of their the eyes and hit his head off a bar counter at the hotel.
The Dunraven Hotel is a well prestigious premises which has hosted members of the British Royal family, sports stars, US Presidents, and Hollywood movie legends.
Prosecuting Garda Ronan Hayes, Adare Garda Station, previously gave evidence in court of arresting and charging the two defendants.
Alison Chawke is represented by senior counsel Mark Nicholas; Bill Chawke is represented by barrister Henry Kelly BL, instructed by solicitor Michael Finucane.
Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley BL, instructed by County Limerick State Solicitor Brendan Gill, previously told the court that the two accused’s guilty pleas were acceptable to the State on “a full facts basis”.
Ms Buckley said the court in May would see CCTV footage in respect of the assaults on the night in question and hear victim impacts statements from both victims.
The Chawke siblings were first charged in court in Newcastle West in October 2024.
At that hearing, Garda Ronan Hayes gave evidence that neither of the two defendants made any reply to the charges.
Inspector Barry Manton told that court that shortly after midnight on November 9, 2023, Alison and Bill Chawke got involved in a verbal altercation with the hotel bar staff and the two victims.
Inspector Manton said the two Chawke siblings “put themselves in the personal space” of the bar staff and the two victims. Inspector Manton said the two accused “began a violent altercation” and that a number of patrons at the hotel had “tried to break it up”.
Inspector Manton said the altercation spread from the bar area into in a hallway: “It was all captured on CCTV.”
“It will be alleged that Bill Chawke, during this violent altercation, gouged the eyes of ‘injured party number one’ and hit the head of ‘injured party number one′, pushing it down on the bar in a forceful manner,” Insp Manton told the court.
“Alison Chawke gouged the eyes of ‘injured party number one’, went behind the bar and picked up a glass and threw it at persons involved, including other patrons that were trying to break it up,” he said.
“Alison Chawke then made her way to a hallway and delivered a number of kicks to the head of ‘injured party number two’, and she bent down and bit him on the cheek,” Insp Manton added.
The two defendants are on bail.
– Court Reporting Scheme