A WOMAN who called a garda a ‘beardy b***ard’ has been convicted of public order offences.
Rosemary Howick (47) of 4 Castleview, Kilbrittain pleaded not guilty at Bandon District Court to being drunk in a public place and using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.
Gda Brian Blake of Bandon Garda Station told the court that on August 1st last he responded to anonymous reports of a drunk female shouting on the streets of Kilbrittain.
‘I arrived on the scene and didn’t see any disturbance. I then called to a number of residents and as I was speaking to them I saw a female walking nearby. I spoke to the accused, who had blue face paint and was clearly intoxicated. There was a strong smell of alcohol from her and her eyes were bloodshot,’ said Gda Blake.
‘She then said to me: “Did you sign up to cut people’s ears off as you’ll have to do it, bitch’.’’
Gda Blake said he asked her name and she replied: ‘You can call me goddess, devil, b***ard, Palestinian, Jew.’
‘I left and she followed me and almost fell off the footpath and called me a beardy b***ard. By now people had gathered outside and she was a danger to herself and others and I arrested her for breaches of the Public Order Act.’
Ms Howick was taken to Bandon Garda Station and when introduced to the member in charge there, Gda Darren Cahalane, she became extremely abusive to gardai.
‘I cautioned her and she replied: ‘I’ll go to Limerick, you’ll go to hell. It’s bullshit.’
Gda James Masters, who accompanied Gda Blake on the night in question, said the accused was extremely drunk and started shouting abuse at Gda Blake and called him a ‘beardy b***ard.’
Gda Darren Cahalane, who was the member in charge at Bandon Garda Station, said Ms Howick was highly abusive in the custody suite. He said she continued to be abusive throughout the night and was released after 2am.
Ms Howick told Judge King that she was the victim and that body cams should be available for all gardaí. She added that she has stopped drinking.
The court heard that she has 39 previous convictions, including 17 for public order offences, as well as convictions for assault and trespassing. Defence solicitor Kate Hallissey said her client is living in a Council-provided house in Kilbrittain and is on disability due to being bipolar. She said Ms Howick has spent time in prison and isn’t under the care of any mental health team, and doesn’t take her medication.
Judge King directed that a probation report be prepared on Ms Howick.
‘It seems to me that she’s coming back here again and again and we need to structure something that will help her,’ said Judge King, who remanded her on continuing bail to appear in court again on January 17th.
