The partner of murdered Dublin gangland figure Eamon Dunne has taken a legal action over Irish Life’s refusal to pay her €250,000 on a life insurance policy taken out by the couple two years before his death.
Georgia Saunders, who began a relationship with Dunne in 2007, brought the High Court case over a policy the couple entered into with the insurer in 2008.
Dunne was murdered in April 2010 while attending a birthday party in a pub in Cabra. He was on bail and awaiting trial for armed robbery at the time. He had been linked to approximately a dozen gangland murders.
In her action, Ms Saunders, who lives in the Netherlands, is seeking orders stating that she is entitled to a payment from Irish Life on foot of the policy, which the court heard is worth €250,000.
Irish Life Assurance Plc has declined to pay out for reasons including alleged failure to disclose certain relevant material when the couple were filling in the online application for coverage.
A pre-trial motion in the action came before Mr Justice Paul Gilligan on Wednesday.
Mairead McKenna BL, for Irish Life, said, for the purpose of its defence, they sought answers from Ms Saunders to certain questions relating to visits made by Dunne to various doctors from 2001 to 2006.
Irish Life wants to known if Dunne’s doctors noted him as being on medications to deal with sleep problems and anxiety.
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Ms Saunders has also been asked if Dunne told a doctor he had been drinking eight cans of beer a night, snorting cocaine, feeling depressed and was keen for a psychiatric referral.
The insurer says that, in the policy application form, Dunne stated he did not suffer from a nervous disorder, had not suffered from or had treatment for any illness for a period of five years, and did not take drugs other than for medical purposes.
Ms Saunders had not given the answers sought and the insurer wanted the court to direct Ms Saunders to answer a number of formal questions. If the information sought was provided, it would save on court time and legal costs, Ms McKenna said.
The application was opposed on grounds including the information sought was not necessary and was oppressive.
Information was sought relating to medical information Ms Saunders had no knowledge of, it was argued.
In his ruling, the judge gave Irish Life permission to issue the formal questions to Ms Saunders and directed replies be provided within six weeks. He rejected arguments the questions were vexatious or unnecessary and said, if answered, would save on time and expense.