By Eoin Reynolds
Galway farmer, Michael Scott, who was found guilty of the manslaughter of his aunt has been remanded in custody until his sentencing later this month.
Scott (59) of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co. Galway had pleaded not guilty to murdering his aunt Christina ‘Chrissie’ Treacy (76) outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co. Galway on April 27, 2018.
He had been convicted earlier this year of the manslaughter of his aunt through gross negligence when he drove over her in an agricultural teleporter outside her home.
Scott had gone on trial accused of her murder but the jury returned a unanimous verdict, acquitting him of that charge.
The prosecution case was that Scott deliberately reversed over his aunt following a long-running dispute over land.
Michael Scott
The jury were told that Chrissie Treacy and her brothers farmed about 140ac at Derryhiney and that she owned another farm at nearby Kiltormer.
Following the deaths of her brothers, Michael Scott came to own half the land at Derryhiney and his aunt owned the other half.
She leased her land at Kiltormer and Derryhiney to Michael Scott.
The trial heard that the Health Service Executive and Gardaí had been informed of concerns regarding Chrissie Treacy’s welfare due to her relationship with Scott.
The farmer from Portumna in Co. Galway will spend his first night in prison tonight (Monday, June 12) having been remanded in custody until Justice Caroline Biggs passes sentence on June 26.
Central Criminal Court
At the Central Criminal Court today (Monday, June 12) the Director of Public Prosecutions said that Scott’s offence falls within the mid-category for manslaughter and should carry a headline sentence of four to 10 years.
Paul Greene SC, on behalf of Scott, said that the offence falls into the lower category. Greene said the issues to be considered are the roadworthiness of the teleporter and Scott’s failure to keep a proper lookout when reversing.
Justice Biggs said she will be considering a number of issues in sentencing, including “a number of self-serving lies” that Scott told to Gardai.
She said she will consider whether Scott was truly remorseful and genuine during his Garda interviews and she noted that he said he did not call emergency services because he did not know that he could ring 999 to summon an ambulance.
Statement
A friend of Chrissie Treacy’s, Regina Donohue, today told the Central Criminal Court in a statement that Michael Scott had subjected his aunt to “verbal abuse and mental torture”.
Donohue said that she had got to know Chrissie Treacy when she served time on the Treacy farm while studying for her apprenticeship.
She said that the Treacy family had become like family and Chrissie treated her “like the daughter she never had”, adding: “I looked up to her as if she was my second mother. As female farmers we had a huge mutual respect for each other and I never will forget Chrissie for that.”
Donohue said that she continues to suffer “unending stress” from the “ongoing intimidation aimed at me, my family and friends by Michael Scott”.
She said that while her “dear friend Chrissie may be physically gone” her memory would “live with me for as long as I live”.