Leaffoney
Kilglass
Co. Sligo

Tel/Fax 096-49078

Date: 27-09-2005

To Whom It May Concern

Re: Shannon V Shannon E13/03 – Sligo Circuit Court

As some of you might know from my last contribution to the website, there is litigation pending over my mother’s farm at Leaffoney, Kilglass, Co. Sligo.

The dispute is between me and my brother John Shannon. John has four residential farms around us in Leaffoney, also in the Roscommon/Leitrim area and abroad I gather. He is also a civil engineer in Leitrim County Council in the planning area and his wife is a solicitor in Ballina. Both have permanent, pensionable jobs - lucky things.

I and my sister who lives with me have only my mother’s farm, our only home, livelihood and security in this life.

Currently, there is litigation pending over this farm between me and my brother, John Shannon. On Friday 23/9/05 my brother erected scaffolding in the gateway of my yard blocking my access in or out of my yard with my horse box and car, with the result that I could not go to the mart on Monday.

I informed the man (Norman Reid) who erected it that there was litigation pending, that he was trespassing on my property and I did not give him permission to carry out repairs on the roof of my building while litigation was pending. My brother could then try to stake a claim to the property which would lead to further litigation.

My brother, John, who works in Leitrim County Council is aware of the law on this matter and should know better than to break the law, i.e. while litigation is pending over a property you can not tamper with it.

In addition, if that man falls and hurts himself whom will he sue?

My brother has a history of violence where he assaulted me and my sister leaving me in intensive care at the Beaumont Hospital; since then he and his son have also assaulted me in August 1999 when I caught them in the process of stealing my ram (sheep) and tried to retrieve it. The assault case never got to court and I suspect it never will through influence being used on his behalf at the top of the Judiciary.

At present, this most recent action of his is to harass and instil fear in me. I am terrified that every time I walk near the scaffolding he may be lying in weight to throw a rock or other heavy object down on me.

The Gardai were called and they explained the situation to him (the man working for my brother) but they said they could do nothing further as it was a civil matter.

According to the man (stranger) my brother’s solicitor (D. Hewson, McHales, Solicitors, Ballina, Co. Mayo) told this man that he could go ahead with repairs. I doubt he would have the jurisdiction to prejudge a hearing that is to come before the court unless somebody has informed him before hand that the case will be thrown his way.

Since then when my brother was away I took down the scaffolding. No doubt he will re-erect it. I think that he should be stopped from tampering with any of the buildings pending litigation.

Everyone should be treated equally before the law.

I will be going before Sligo Circuit Court on 11 October 2005 to try and re-enter a matter that has not yet been determined by the court. He (my brother) can apply to the court then to see will they give him permission to break the law.

I have enclosed an abbreviated history of what has happened in our proceedings. I had incompetent solicitors to begin with but their mishaps cannot be used to block a person from putting things right. In fact one of those solicitors (Howley, Carter and Co., Sligo) of whom I speak is currently suing me for £17,000 for basically screwing up my litigation and is responsible for destroying my life.

The same solicitor has persisted in harassing my other solicitors in the past and has used every means fair and foul to block our path to a successful conclusion to our cases.

It may seem from the history of our cases that I have been through due process, in fact I have only been through the Motions of due process. Due process means a fair, impartial, opening hearing. This latter has never happened.

Meanwhile I and my sister continue to suffer on.

What has happened in the court room and within the judiciary is nothing short of macabre and unlawful. Hopefully, someone somewhere will be in a position to highlight and expose the corruption and injustice in our cases.

Regards,

______________

Elizabeth Shannon