The father who brought the short lives of his two young sons to a desperately tragic end near Ballintubber on July 29, 2013, is to serve two life sentences for their murder.
Sanjeev Chada (44 ) of Ballinkillen, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, pleaded guilty to two murder counts at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Tuesday, saying he was sorry for his actions, but offered little explanation for the bizarre and ultimately shocking circumstances surrounding his children’s deaths.
Chada pleaded guilty to strangling Eoghan (10 ) and Ruairi Chada (5 ) at Skehanagh Lower, Ballintubber, a little over 14 months ago.
He said he killed the boys because he did not want them to suffer any shame relating to the investigations that he had defrauded his local community centre of €56,000.
He also did not want them to come from a broken home.
The bodies of the Chada boys were discovered in the boot of their father’s car after he crashed outside Westport.
The court was told Chada had also attempted to take his own life on the day but failed.
On July 28, Chada told his wife he was bringing the boys bowling.
A child rescue alert was issued by gardaí on the evening before their deaths when his wife became concerned for the children’s welfare.
In her victim impact statement, Kathleen Chada told the court there was nothing unusual about the days leading up to her sons’ deaths.
“Little did I know Sanj intended I never see any of them alive again. I question why he left me behind,” she said.
She also said her husband of 12 years had left her to live “a double life sentence every day, with no chance of release in my lifetime.”
