Barbie Kardashian accused of threatening to kill her mother, Limerick court hears

The court also heard that Ms Kardashian, who has legally changed her gender and name, had been diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder.

Barbie Kardashian, 20, of no fixed abode, told staff at Coovagh House, Limerick that she wanted to 'track her mother down where she was living and kill her, to murder and rape her', the jury at Limerick Circuit Court heard. File Picture: Dan Linehan

A woman who was being detained in one of the country’s most secure units for severely troubled youths has gone on trial accused of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to her mother, and to a man who had been involved in her care.

Barbie Kardashian, 20, of no fixed abode, who has legally changed her gender and name, told staff at Coovagh House, Limerick, where she had been a resident at various points from 2018 to 2020, that she wanted to “rape” and “murder” her mother, members of her care team told Limerick Circuit Court.

Thomas Morgan, who at the time was Ms Kardashian’s case manager and the deputy social care manager at Coovagh House, gave evidence that Ms Kardashian “clearly expressed” during a conversation with him on March 12, 2020, that she wanted to "track her mother down where she was living and kill her, to murder and rape her”.

Mr Morgan said that during another conversation with Ms Kardashian, in April 2020, she expressed a "clear desire to rape and mutilate her mother’s genitals”.

The court heard Ms Kardashian was diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder after her parents separated.

Ms Kardashian claimed in conversations with her care workers that she had been sexually abused, and she had suffered significant childhood trauma, the court heard.

Coovagh House takes residents aged 11-17 years, but due to a lack of capacity in specialist care for young persons in the State, Ms Kardashian’s residency at the Limerick unit was extended.

Under cross-examination, Mr Morgan agreed with defence barrister Mark Nicholas that Ms Kardashian would engage in “shock behaviour, saying things to get a reaction”.

Care worker Michael Mannix gave evidence that Ms Kardashian took an immediate dislike to him and that she had threatened to kill him “many times” while he was on duty.

Mr Mannix alleged that, in July 2020, while he accompanied Ms Kardashian on a walk around the grounds of Coovagh, “she told me she wanted to stick a knife in my neck and see me bleed out”.

Mr Mannix agreed with Mr Nicholas that despite these alleged threats, he “wasn't afraid or in fear” of Ms Kardashian.

Mr Mannix continued that he had “worked with worse”, and he agreed that at no stage did he ever request not to work with Ms Kardashian despite the alleged threats to him.

Mr Mannix said he eventually gave a statement to gardaí after he claimed Ms Kardashian threatened to “rape my wife and children and disembowel them”.

When she brought my wife and kids into it, that’s a different ball game,” he said.

Brent Dugdale, another of Ms Kardashian’s former care workers, also gave evidence of the alleged threats.

“She was very cool, calm, and collected, and in my opinion, it was very genuine," said Mr Dugdale. 

I thought if she got the opportunity she would have acted on her threats.” 

Enda Long, who worked as a care team leader at Coovagh from 2015 to 2021, also gave evidence of witnessing Ms Kardashian threaten Mr Mannix “that she would leave his children without a father”.

The trial continues.