A District Court judge was yesterday forced to leave his courtroom after disturbances broke out in the court following the assault by another prisoner on a 23-year-old man charged in connection with the death of Kilrush, Co Clare, woman Ann Walsh (23).
At Ennis District Court, Judge Joseph Mangan left his bench and retreated to his chambers as gardaí struggled to contain the outbreak of violence in the court, and shouts of abuse and threats were made to Raymond Donovan of New Houses, Cooraclare.
Mr Donovan was yesterday making his fifth appearance in court on a charge of intentionally or recklessly causing harm to Ms Walsh at Toler Street, Kilrush, on August 24th contrary to Section 4 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
At a previous court appearance Judge Mangan warned members of the Walsh family on their future conduct in court after they verbally abused Mr Donovan, and yesterday he held the remand hearing at the start of the court sitting.
The remand hearing lasted less than five minutes, during which time Ms Walsh's uncle, Martin Walsh, verbally abused Mr Donovan.
Mr Walsh was ordered to leave the court and later, as Mr Donovan was being led away by prison officers, another prisoner from the Kilrush area was seen assaulting Mr Donovan in the body of the court.
The prisoner was restrained by gardaí and prison officers as Mr Donovan emerged from the melee with his T-shirt torn and looking shaken following the assault.
While gardaí were seeking to restrain the two men, Ms Walsh's mother, Ann, held a large framed photograph of her daughter over her head, telling the packed courtroom: "My beautiful girl, can you see her?"
After Mr Donovan was escorted by prison officers out by a back exit and the shouting died down, Judge Mangan returned to the courtroom.
During the earlier hearing Mr Donovan was further remanded in custody to October 21st, and time was extended to serve the book of evidence in the case.
