Deirdre Foley faces two more charges over Clerys

TWO extra charges have been brought against businesswoman Deirdre Foley, who is facing trial over the handling of redundancies at Clerys department store.

Ms Foley already faced a single charge of impeding a Workplace Relations Commission inspector and three counts of breaking protection of employment laws.

Her co-defendants are two executives, Mark Redmond and Brendan Cooney, the previous owners of Clerys, OCS Operations Ltd (now in liquidation), and Natrium Ltd which, in 2015, bought the iconic department store on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

They are to go on trial in January. However, yesterday additional charges were brought against Ms Foley, of Hollybank Avenue, Upper Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Mr Cooney, of Weirview Drive, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Mr Redmond, of Belfry Dale, Citywest Road, Saggart, Co. Dublin, and OCS Operations Ltd.

In the fresh charges it’s alleged that on November 24 last year they failed to keep records as required to ensure compliance with Section 18.1 of the Protection of Employment Act. Ms Foley also had one other new charge for refusing in a letter to comply with lawful requirements of an (WRC) inspector.

Judge John Brennan noted that these charges could join up with the proceedings already on-going. Disclosure of evidence has also been provided. Ms Foley and two of the co-defendants were not present and were represented by a solicitor and counsel. However, Mr Cooney did attend court. Judge Brennan adjourned the case to be mentioned again in November.

Books of evidence and 11 boxes of material have already been handed over to the defence following disclosure orders made at earlier stages by Judge Brennan.

The criminal proceedings have been brought by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the WRC. AN autistic man has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital, after being found not guilty by reason of insanity of attempting to murder his pregnant sister. The Central Criminal Court previously heard that Daniel O’Connell had tried to kill her so she wouldn’t raise her child in Dublin.

Judge Paul Butler made the order yesterday, two weeks after a jury returned the verdict following the trial of O’Connell, 33, from Newpark, Co. Kilkenny.

James Dwyer BL, for the State, told the judge that consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Anthony Kearns had prepared a report. He added: ‘There’s evidence before the court which would warrant such an order being made.’

The judge said: ‘The evidence is only one way in this matter.’

O’Connell was accompanied from court by his family and returned to the CMH.

Man who tried to kill his sister is sent to CMH