by Andrew Carey
AS JASON Corbett’s body was brought back to Limerick on this Thursday morning, a custody battle was looming over the future of his two Irish-born children left traumatised by their father’s death in a domestic incident at their North Carolina home last week.
On Sunday, August 2, police and emergency paramedics responding to an emergency call found the 39 year-old Limerick businessman in his home with serious head injuries.
The fatal injuries were sustained as a result of what local police say was “a blunt force trauma to the head”.
But in the wake of that tragedy, Mr Corbett’s two children are now at the centre of a bitter custody battle between their legal guardians and the chief suspect in the Limerick man’s killing.
Having left her holiday in France, Tracey Lynch, Jason’s sister, went to the US where she has led the fight to get both her brother’s body and his two children home to Ireland. She says she wants a quick resolution to the issue to allow her grieve her bother’s violent death.
And the Corbett family have vowed that they will not bury Jason until they have full custody of his two children.
This Friday, a judge is to decide the outcome of the custody hearing over the guardianship of Jack and Sarah Corbett who have been living in the home where their father was killed last week.
Mr Corbett’s second wife, Molly Martens, who is a US citizen was granted temporary custody of the two young children whose father was killed in what local police have described as a “domestic disturbance”.
A police spokesman said they are not looking outside the family home for anyone else in connection with Mr Corbett’s death.
Jack and Sarah’s legal guardians are his sister Tracey and her husband David Lynch and the family members who have remained home in Limerick say they are desperate for news of developments that will finally see Jason laid to rest and his children back on Irish soil.
It is understood that there has been very little contact with the children and their extended Limerick family since their father’s death.
Ms Lynch said that Jason left written instructions asking that his children return to Ireland in the event of his death.
“It’s what Jason wanted. Jason left instructions that my husband and I would be the guardians of Jack and Sarah.”
Speaking from North Carolina on Tuesday night, Ms Lynch said that she was getting to grips with the legal process and she was hopeful of a positive outcome.
“I have confidence in the system here, that they will allow Jack and Sarah to come home. They’re Irish citizens, they’re on their dad’s work visa and they’ve no relatives in America.
“All of Jason’s family and friends, the children’s biological grandparents, both sets, are in Ireland waiting for us to come home with Jack and Sarah.”
She said that her brother loved his family and friends.
“He wanted to come home. We’re just here trying to give Jason a voice. I know what his wishes were.
“I’m heartbroken, and I want to go home and be allowed to grieve the loss of one of the most important people in my world with my family.”
Mr Corbett who moved to the US four years ago and after the death of his first wife Mags in 2006 from a asthma attack, died at his home in Panther Creek Court, Wallburg in North Carolina.
A Delta flight carrying Mr Corbett’s remains touched down this Thursday morning in Dublin Airport after the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust assisted the Corbett family with the arrangements.
The trust offers financial assistance to bereaved families to repatriate bodies of their loved ones who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances.
Trust co-founder Colin Bell said he was pleased that the trust could help.
“This is what we do, this is why we set up the trust, to help people in this situation,” he explained. Mr Bell’s son Kevin was 26 when he was killed in an accident in New York in June 2013 and hss death led Mr Bell and his wife Eithne to establish the trust.
The first steps in securing Jack and Sarah Corbett’s future will be decided on this Friday when the children’s legal guardians attempt to secure a ruling allowing them to return home to Ireland.
Social media campaigns, personal tributes, petitions and fundraising activities have all been initiated in Ireland in support of the young Corbett children with calls being made for Government intervention at the highest level.
The expenditure facing the Corbett family is set to run into the tens of thousands and donations to help fund #jasonsjourney and to #bringjacksarahhome are being accepted through Limerick bank accounts and online.
