A BANDON grandmother who has been previously convicted for not wearing a face mask in a local supermarket, was arrested again last week for a similar alleged offence and refused to wear a face mask in court.
Margaret Buttimer (66) of the Cottage, St Fintan’s Road, Bandon was brought before Judge James McNulty at Bandon District Court to face one alleged charge of breaching Covid regulations.
Ms Buttimer was sentenced to 90 days in prison earlier this summer for refusing to wear a face mask at the same supermarket on two separate occasions.
At court last Thursday, Gda Paul Gleeson told Judge McNulty that he arrested Margaret Buttimer earlier that morning at the Riverview Shopping Centre.
Sgt Paul Kelly said they had no objection to bail but noted her ‘continuous and habitual offending.’
Judge McNulty said that given her history and the fact that she has been prosecuted before he was intrigued that she’s still ‘allowed to roam.’
Mr Taaffe said there is a limit to what someone can do to restrict someone’s movement but Judge McNulty said that the court was promised on previous occasions that she would be supervised by family members and added that if she is released she should be supervised.
Judge McNulty was told that Ms Buttimer has not been vaccinated and has no plans to do so and still visits her elderly mum without a face mask, something which he described as ‘exceptional and unusual.’
The court was told that Ms Buttimer’s partner had an appointment that lunchtime to see her psychiatrist and Judge McNulty remanded her in custody to Bandon Garda Station until later in the afternoon.
When Ms Buttimer returned to court unmasked, Judge McNulty offered her a clean face mask but she refused to take it. The court heard that her partner’s meeting with her psychiatrist had been virtually futile but that a brain scan was on the cards.
Ms Buttimer was released on bail until November 15th provided she be of good behaviour and commit no offences but Judge McNulty also added special conditions to any release on bail.
‘She shall not enter the Riverview Shopping Centre or any retail premises in downtown Bandon. She is not to enter any place where the public has access and this would include church, chapel, meeting house, post office or public offices,’ said Judge McNulty.
