A judge has refused to direct convicted murderer Catherine Nevin to pay an alleged debt of almost €38,000 for work carried out to two Dublin properties owned by her late husband. Nevin is serving a life sentence in Mountjoy Prison for the murder of her husband, Thomas Nevin, on March 19th, 1996.
In the Circuit Civil Court yesterday Blackbell Ltd, which trades as Irish Conservatories, asked Judge Jacqueline Linnane to grant summary judgment against Nevin.
Bernadette Kirby told the court that Blackbell, The Conservatory and Garden Bazaar, Stepaside, Co Dublin, sought to recover €37,654.68 from Nevin for refurbishment of 17 Mountshannon Road, Dublin, and 6 Mayfield Road, Dublin, both off the South Circular Road.
Rossa Fanning, counsel for Nevin, said Blackbell was alleging it had carried out work to Jack White's Inn, Brittas, Co Wicklow, which his client denied.
Mr Fanning said Nevin conceded she had requested the works be carried out at Mayfield Road and Mountshannon Road, two properties in respect of which she was claiming a proportional lien.
He said the lien formed part of her defence and counter claim in the High Court case, Patrick Nevin and Margaret Lavelle, personal representatives of the estate of Thomas Nevin, against his client.
Mr Fanning said Nevin's case was that the proper defendant in the action was the estate of Tom Nevin and not her personally.
Judge Linnane yesterday refused the application for summary judgment against Nevin. A decision to join Patrick Nevin and Margaret Lavelle as co-defendants to Blackbell's claim will be determined later by the court.