A woman who is to be paid £100,000 by a Co Tipperary farmer under a High Court order of last November "strenuously denies" she is being paid the money in her capacity as the farmer's "former girlfriend", Mr Justice Kelly was told yesterday.
Mr Donal Brereton, a farmer, of Oldcourt, Borrisokane, spent four months in prison and the Central Mental Hospital, because he failed to honour an undertaking to pay £100,000 to Ms Sinead Mulcair of Borrisokane.
Mr Justice Kelly ordered his release on November 9th, and put a High Court registrar in to complete the sale of Mr Brereton's land to a Dublin solicitor (buying in trust) for £425,000. From the sale the solicitor, Mr Joe Colgan, undertook to pay £100,000 to Ms Mulcair and a debt of £109,000 to the ACC, with the balance to go to Mr Brereton after legal costs.
In November an elderly lady who said she was Mr Brereton's aunt asked if she and a niece could buy back the farm and was told by the judge she could enter negotiations with the new buyer.
In December Mr Justice Kelly deferred the sale after he was told there were two tenants on the farm. Yesterday he adjourned the proceedings for another three weeks.
Mr Harry Mooney, a solicitor for Ms Mulcair, said she was concerned about media reports saying she was to be paid in her capacity as Mr Brereton's former girlfriend. He said the sum was compensation for surrendering specific performance rights for certain property.