Court jails woman who aided Crowley abduction
A woman who aided the abduction of a four-year-old-girl, who was later shot dead by her father and captor before he turned his gun on himself, was jailed for two years today.
Regina Nelligan, 33, pleaded guilty to assisting in the abduction of Deirdre Crowley at a Circuit Court in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, earlier this year.
Deirdre and her father, Christopher Crowley, died in the double shooting in a house at Clonmel 18 months after she disappeared in December, 1999.
The shooting happened when gardai arrived at the house to talk to Mr Crowley after tracking him down there.
Sentencing, Judge Michael O’Shea said it was an extraordinarily tragic case but also an extremely serious charge and a jail sentence was appropriate.
The court had been told that Christopher Crowley had spun a web of lies and deceit to Regina Nelligan about his former partner, Christine O’Sullivan.
It was also claimed that Mr Crowley had exercised total control over Nelligan, who was once his student at school, and she had been unable to betray him.
But the judge said he was satisfied that Nelligan had not been under Mr Crowley’s control, but acting under her free will, and in assisting in the abduction she had deprived Deirdre of a number of some basic human rights – the right to childhood, the right to go to school, the right to go to school and play with other children and the right to receive the love and affection of her mother.
He also said Nelligan had lied to gardai and tried to deceive them.
The court heard that Nelligan had expressed sincere remorse for what had happened and was still in a very fragile and tender state.
The last six months of her sentence were suspended.
Speaking after the case, Deirdre’s mother and Mr Crowley’s former partner, Christine O’Sullivan said “I think the judge did the very best he could.
“I have been praying all week that he would be given the grace to make the right decision. I am not a vindictive person, so I don’t take any joy in Regina Nelligan serving a prison sentence.
“But at the same time, I think it is very good that a message has been given to anybody who would think of abducting a child, or helping somebody else abduct a child that there are consequences to be paid for this sort of thing.
“I think justice has been served. It’s been a very, very difficult few years.”
