A son and daughter of prominent publican Charlie Chawke, who attacked two innocent men at a hotel in 2023, have brought “embarrassment” on their family and their family business, barristers for the two siblings told their sentencing hearing on Thursday.

Mother of three, Alison Chawke (41), bit one of the men, John McHugh (50s), on his cheek and kicked him in the head, as her brother Bill Chawke (31), wrestled with McHugh on the floor of the hotel, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The Chawke siblings were intoxicated on the night having consumed about 14 alcoholic drinks between them and also attacked McHugh’s friend, Gerard Cox (50s).

McHugh and Cox were at the residents’ bar at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, Co Limerick, when they were set upon by the Chawke siblings, it was heard.

Bill Chawke and Alison Chawke, son and daughter of well-known publican Charlie Chawke, had initially claimed they felt the two men had been staring and smirking at them.

Prosecuting counsel Lily Buckley instructed by state solicitor Brendan Gill, assisted by sergeant Gerry O’Sullivan, Newcastle West Garda station, said the assault was captured on CCTV at the hotel, and via a mobile phone camera belonging to a night manager who was on duty at the time.

The footage, played in court showed Alison Chawke and Bill Chawke punching and kicking the two men at the bar and at the hotel lobby.

Buckley said Bill Chawke had demanded he be served food at the bar, despite being told by staff that food was no longer available.

Buckley said the night manager told gardaí that Bill Chawke “was stubborn and arrogant and asked for food again and again”.

Bill Chawke continued ringing the night manager’s phone line asking for food, at which point Cox politely asked him to stop annoying the bar staff.

Buckley said Bill Chawke approached Cox at the bar, spoke to him, and then “lunged” at him, “hitting” him.

Other patrons tried to restrain Bill Chawke and Alison Chawke tried to pull her brother away.

Alison Chawke was observed on CCTV kicking and swinging her hands at the two victims and others who were trying to de-escalate the situation.

The footage also showed Alison Chawke walking behind the bar, picking up a pint glass and throwing it at the men.

Alison Chawke also bit McHugh on the let side of his face, kicked him into the side of his head as he was lying on the ground trying to get Bill Chawke off of Cox, it was heard.

Buckley said Chawke “locked on to” the left side of McHugh’s face as she bit him.

Cox told gardaí he felt Bill Chawke’s fingers in his eyes after he was thrown to the ground on the hotel lobby.

Alison Chawke was arrested at the scene for being drunk and disorderly and refusing to give gardaí her name.

Alison Chawke had refused to give her name to gardaí “because she didn’t think anyone in the hotel knew who she was, and she did not want her dad to know what had happened”.

Afterwards the two defendants met gardaí by appointment and were charged with assault causing harm to the two men.

Alison Chawke, The Beeches, Holywell, Goatstown, Dublin 14, pleaded guilty on a full facts basis to assault causing harm to McHugh, at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, on November 9th, 2023.

Bill Chawke, Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, admitted on a full facts basis to assault causing harm to Cox, at the hotel on the same date.

When gardaí showed Alison Chawke CCTV footage of the assaults, she was “shocked” and she exclaimed, “Oh my god.”

When gardaí asked her if she felt justified in kicking McHugh in the head as he lay on the floor of the hotel lobby, she replied “no.”

Bill Chawke told gardaí he believed the two men were looking at him “in a strange way” at the bar.

Bill Chawke’s barrister, senior counsel Hugh Hartnett, sought a non-custodial sentence, and he suggested a community service order in lieu of a jail sentence would be appropriate.

“My client is in a responsible position in the family business, he comes from a much respected family,” said Hartnett.

Alison Chawke’s barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, told the court that she had “no excuses” for her “disgraceful” actions on the night.

“What she does is disgraceful, there are kicks, the injuries are unpleasant, she takes full responsibility for them, including the mark on (McHugh’s) face,” said Nicholas.

The court heard Bill and Alison Chawke have paid the victims €5,000 in compensation without prejudice to civil proceedings, taken by the two victims, which are currently before the courts.

The court heard victim impact statements written by the two victims.

Cox said he and McHugh were “subjected to a sudden and violent assault” on the night.

Cox said “fingers were forced” into his eyes and he had feared his vision would be permanently damaged.

McHugh said he has attended a psychologist to try to work through the “trauma” of it all.

Character references on behalf of Bill Chawke were provided to the court including from his father, Charlie Chawke, who said the defendant plays a “significant part” in the running of the family pub business.

Bill Chawke’s barrister said his client’s behaviour on the night was “inexcusable and totally out of character”.

“He has brought embarrassment to his family,” said Hartnett.

References were also provided in respect of Alison Chawke, including from the Vintner’s Federation, Adare Community Hall; as well as her father who stated she is “an important person” in the running of the family’s pub trade.

Her barrister, Mark Nicholas, said her actions on the night were “utterly unacceptable” and she was ashamed of her behaviour.

Judge Fiona O’Sullivan remanded both defendants on bail for sentencing on May 11th.