A DRUNK woman who assaulted a garda by slapping him in the face has been sentenced to five months in prison.
Fiona Gill of 5 Perrin Inn, Glengarriff, had, according to her solicitor, Flor Murphy, been off her medication when the offence occurred on January 26th last.
At Bantry District Court, Sgt Trish O’Sullivan gave evidence that gardaí were called to a disturbance at The Perrin Inn at about 9pm.
The accused was, she said, engaged in a dispute with her landlord and was very intoxicated and abusive.
‘She struck Gda David Harmon across the face with her open hand,’ said the prosecutor, which resulted in her being arrested and brought to Bantry Garda Station.
Judge McNulty noted that the accused appeared before the court in custody because she is serving time for a separate offence.
He noted that the release date, after serving the five months imposed, would be September or October.
The accused was also charged with being drunk and engaging in threatening and abusive words and behaviour on the occasion, but Judge McNulty marked them proven and taken into consideration.
Sgt O’Sullivan said the accused was also prosecuted for being intoxicated at Wolfe Tone Square the following day, January 27th. The prosecuting officer, Gda Colm Spring, found the accused so intoxicated she was unable to walk upright and unaided, she said.
‘Gda Spring feared for her safety and arrested her,’ said the sergeant who informed the court that the accused has 56 previous convictions, 37 of which were for public order offences.
Two letters of apology – one for the judge and one for Gda Harmon – were handed in to the court by Mr Murphy on behalf of his client.
The letters confirmed what Mr Murphy had said on her behalf, namely that she had, at that time, stopped her medication and ‘was not myself.’
‘I am,’ she wrote, ‘very ashamed about everything. I don’t mean to cause anyone any stress.’ But after serving some time in prison, the accused said she is now back on her medication and ‘back to myself.’
‘I’m feeling healthy again and want to stay that way,’ she said.
