Kathleen Chada took the case against husband Sanjeev over the murders of Eoghan and Ruairí. Photo: Collins Courts

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, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, sued Sanjeev Chada (45), whose address was given as Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin.

Mrs Chada sued him for assault, battery and trespass on the person causing the deaths of Eoghan (10) and Ruairí (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 ran 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.

Expand Close Eoghan (right) and Ruairí Chada (left) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Eoghan (right) and Ruairí Chada (left)

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.

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

In a victim impact statement at the boys' inquest, Mrs Chada said that her two sons had "everything to live for".

Expand Close Sanjeev Chada. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sanjeev Chada. Photo: Frank McGrath

"So much potential cut down in such a cruel and violent way by their own father who they loved and adored. He was their hero. How can evil such as this have been hidden for so long in a seemingly loving father?

"How can he be so utterly, utterly selfish? He has robbed us of so very, very much - me, our family and the boys' friends and the community. Who can ever know what potential the boys had in the future? It is all gone."

Yesterday, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan was told Sanjeev 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 the judge.

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.

Irish Independent