Woman sues husband for €77k over murder of their sons, aged 10 and 5

The wife of a man jailed for life for the murder of their two young sons has obtained a High Court judgment of €77,690 against her husband over the deaths of the boys.

Kathleen Chada, a clinic manager, of Ballinkillen, Bagnelstown, Co Carlow, sued Sanjeev Chada, aged 45, whose address was given as Arbour Hill Prison, Dublin.

Ms Chada sued him for assault, battery, and trespass on the person causing the deaths of Eoghan, 10, and Ruari, 5, Chada at Skehanagh Lower, Ballintubber, Co Mayo, in late July 2013.

He was jailed for life in October 2014 after pleading guilty to the murders.

The Central Criminal Court heard the boys’ bodies were discovered in the boot of Chada’s car on July 29, 2013, after it had crashed into a wall near Westport with him in the driver’s seat.

Chada, who had run up gambling debts, told his wife he was taking their sons bowling in Carlow but instead drove to Mayo, where he strangled the boys with a rope before trying to kill himself.

The court also heard Chada had secretly mounted huge debts from online trading and had borrowed from family and friends and lost large amounts of money. He was €500,000 in debt at one stage from gambling other people’s money.

In one note he wrote before the killings, Chada said: “I could not let you bear the pain of being from a broken home.

“Mammy is getting rid of me and I could not leave you behind. I have so much to teach you but I could not do that if I was not with you.

“We will be together now in some way — in the most beautiful country, your mate and Daddy.”

Sanjeev Chada.

He told gardaí he killed them “because I love them so much.”

Yesterday in the High Court, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan was told Chada was not contesting the judgment application.

The judge said it was not necessary for Mrs Chada to give evidence. He told her he was “terribly sorry over the tragedy that has befallen your family. It was an unspeakable tragedy and you have my sympathy.” Mrs Chada thanked him.

The court was told the boys’ maternal grandparents had waived any claim in relation to the case as had the paternal grandmother who lives in Romford, England.

Mr Justice Noonan was also told a sum for the legal costs had also been agreed.