A father who abducted his six-year-old daughter and later shot her dead before taking his own life left an estate of about €140,000, the High Court was told yesterday.
Mr Justice Kearns gave the child's mother permission to pursue legal proceedings aimed at establishing who should benefit from the late Christopher Crowley's estate.
Mr Crowley, Greenwood Estate, Togher, Cork, died on August 30th, 2001, having first shot his daughter, Deirdre. Ms Regina Nelligan (33), Carriganagroghera, Fermoy, Co Cork, a woman who assisted Mr Crowley in the child's abduction, was later sentenced to two years imprisonment with the last six months suspended.
Mr Crowley's former partner and mother of Deirdre, Ms Christine O'Sullivan, yesterday got permission to pursue proceedings against Mr Crowley's estate arising from the death of their daughter. In an affidavit, she said the child was taken from her care by the late Mr Crowley for 21 months before her death.
Extensive searches were carried out by the Garda and international police agencies.
Mr Crowley was discovered to be living in Clonmel on August 30th, 2001, but before Deirdre could be removed from his care, she died as a result of a gunshot wound. Mr Crowley was believed to have then shot himself.
Ms O'Sullivan said the intended proceedings arose from the removal by Mr Crowley of their daughter from her care and also arising from the death of the child at the hands of her father.
Ms O'Sullivan said she believed the late Mr Crowley had previously been married but separated. She had been unable to discover whether Mr Crowley had executed a will. S
he believed that had he died without making a will the person entitled to extract letters of administration in his estate was his mother, Ms Josephine Crowley, of Greenwood Estate, Togher.
A firm of solicitors had represented Mr Crowley in matters relating to access to the child and the sale of his former home at Tower Hill, Kilcoolishal, Glanmire, Co Cork, and had represented the Crowley family.
Ms O'Sullivan said she believed that in all the circumstances, it was unlikely that there was a grant of representation in his estate having regard to the tragic circumstances of his and his daughter's deaths.
It was necessary for the purposes of the intended proceedings to appoint someone as an administrator ad litem (a court-appointed administrator over the estate).
Ms Sarah Berkeley, for Ms O'Sullivan, said there was €140,000 frozen by order of the Circuit Court. Mr Justice Kearns appointed Ms Fiona Twomey, solicitor, a partner in the firm of Henry P.F. Donegan and Son, South Mall, Cork, to be the administrator ad litem.