Courts

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra died on a yacht in Montauk a year ago this week.

THE FAMILY OF Irish fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, who died on a yacht in Montauk in New York a year ago, have launched a lawsuit against the boat’s owner. 

The legal action was filed this week in the Supreme Court of New York by the deceased’s mother Elma Nolan, who is based in Carlow, and a New York-based lawyer who is handling Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s estate. 

According to court filings, the lawsuit against Christopher Durnan of Garden City in New York alleges wrongful death in the case of Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra and also alleges that he “intentionally and wrongfully assaulted” her. 

The court filing indicates that the alleged “wrongful conduct” or Mr Durnan took place on or about 4 and 5 August last year aboard a vessel at a yacht club at 32 Star Island Road, Montauk.

The lawsuit alleges “gross negligence and wanton conduct” by the defendant which it is claimed caused Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death. 

The lawsuit is seeking a range of damages, including damages for pain and suffering prior to Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death, and seeks a default judgment of $50 million (€43.3 million) should the defendant not respond to the summons.

Speaking in an article published in New York Magazine published last year, Robert Holdman, a lawyer for Mr Durnan, said that the pair had been on his client’s boat together. He said his client was “distraught” following Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death and that he described her as “a good friend”. 

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was originally from Carlow and was a graduate of UCD’s Smurfit Business School before moving to Manhattan where she lived for a number of years.

She was founder of fashion brand East x East, a resort-wear brand that had opened a pop-up store in Montauk the month before she died. 

Following her death, Suffolk County Police said that an initial autopsy conducted on the deceased “did not show evidence of violence” but that the final cause of death was not established. 

An independent autopsy was reportedly commissioned by Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family and The Journal has sought clarification from her family’s representative whether this forms part of the lawsuit.