CIARA Lynch, the 21-year-old girlfriend of convicted murderer Dessie Dundon, has been acquitted of intimidating April Collins and her mother Alice after they made statements to gardai claiming that Dundon’s brothers, Wayne and John, had threatened to kill them. Ms Lynch of O’Malley Park, Southill denied the allegations and further charges relating to the alleged intimidation of April Collins’ sister, Lisa and cousin, Sarah. After a three day trial, the jury found her not guilty of threatening, menacing, intimidating or putting the four women in fear.
It was alleged that Ms Lynch drove her car past the women outside the Collins’ house on Hyde Avenue during lunchtime on May 15, 2011.
April Collins, who is the former girlfriend of Ger Dundon and is now in a relationship with convicted gang rapist Thomas O’Neill, said that Ms Lynch “slowed down and started shouting ‘ye dirty rats and scumbags’”. She saw Ciara Lynch make the shape of a gun with her hand and pointed it out the car window.
She said she was terrified and feared she was going to be shot. Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Shane O’Callaghan, Ms Collins denied she was “setting up” Ciara Lynch after a statement was made against Thomas O’Neill, claiming that he was following Ms Lynch “around Limerick with a gun”.
Detective Garda Paul Crowley said that the matter was investigated and a file sent to the DPP but no charge or prosecution was brought against Thomas O’Neill in connection with the allegation.
Ms Lynch said she did not shout at the four Collins women but that she was subject to abuse from the four and in particular Sarah, the youngest of them. She denied that the incident happened as a result of statements made to the gardai by April and Alice Collins.
April and Alice Collins made statements over a month earlier against Wayne and John Dundon who were convicted of threats at the Special Criminal Court and received sentences of five and half and six years for threatening to kill Alice and April Collins, who remain under 24-hour armed Garda protection.
Supporters, including Wayne Dundon’s wife Anne, cheered after the unanimous not guilty verdict was returned.
Ciara Lynch thanked the court and afterwards said that “it’s ridiculous that the Collins family could set up innocent people and be believed. I proved my innocence”, she said.
