Shatter considers family’s plea not to repatriate killer

Justice Minister Alan Shatter is considering fresh appeals from the family of a woman murdered and raped five years ago not to repatriate her killer back to the Czech Republic.

Mother of two Sharon Coughlan, 37, was raped and strangled after being dragged into a derelict house just metres from her home in Longford in Sep 2007.

Czech national David Brozovsky pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life for her murder and 15 years for her rape.

On Sep 26, Mr Shatter signed an order allowing Brozovsky’s repatriation to serve out his sentence. He said on RTÉ on Thursday that the Coughlan family had opted out of a Prison Service system whereby families are kept informed of significant developments regarding the person involved in their case.

The family said they never knew about the system and could not have opted out.

“How can a family opt out of something when they are not aware of the rights of victims’ families?” said Brenda Coughlan, Sharon’s sister. “I was totally shocked when he said we opted out. It’s unbelievable he would say that on Prime Time.”

Brenda said the family only found out about the ministerial order on Oct 11. She said Sharon’s children, Ciara and Dean, could not understand why this was happening.

“Ciara asked why does he get a choice to go home, when her mammy can’t go home or she can’t go home to her mammy.

“Dean said why, in his words, is the government man taking the side of the murderer and not our side. The murderer is the one who done wrong. He’s the one who killed his mammy, so why is he taking his side, instead of our side?”

Brenda and her sister, Caran, told RTÉ radio the family was “devastated” with the way things had gone.

She said they were “begging” Taoiseach Enda Kenny to intervene, saying they had “lost all trust” in Mr Shatter.

A spokesperson for Mr Shatter said he had received a letter from the Coughlan family’s solicitor on Friday and the minister was considering the letter.