'A history of violence': Longford woman jailed for smashing vase on garda’s head
Limerick District Court heard how the Longford woman threw a vase at the garda’s head with ‘such force that it smashed’, causing swelling and bleeding
A Longford woman who threw a vase at a garda’s head, causing swelling and bleeding, has been jailed.
Prosecuting sergeant, Aisling O’Neill told Limerick District Court that Kathleen Delaney, 51, of St Michael's Road, Longford, shattered the vase on a member of An Garda Síochána’s head on July 13, 2025.
The sergeant detailed that when a garda called to an address in St Michael’s Court, Watergate, Limerick, Kathleen Delaney picked up the vase and threw it at the garda with “such force that it smashed on his head”.
The impact of the vase shattering caused swelling and bleeding to the garda’s head.
Following the assault, the garda went to UHL for medical treatment. Sergeant O’Neill said the garda declined to make a Victim Impact Statement.
The court heard that Ms Delaney has 63 previous convictions, including 23 for section four theft, four for failing to appear in court, one for burglary, a number of public order offences, two convictions for a forged prescription, one for violent disorder and a criminal damage offence.
The most recent conviction recorded for Ms Delaney occurred in Longford District Court, May 6, 2025, and was for a section four theft.
The court heard that Ms Delaney was given community service in lieu of six months’ prison.
Solicitor Sarah Ryan, representing Ms Delaney, said in mitigation that her client has lost children to overdose and suicide.
Ms Ryan said her client was on the wrong medication at the time, and that she “describes herself as a different person”, and that Ms Delaney’s old prescription made her a completely different person.
The solicitor said that Ms Delaney did not intend to strike the garda.
The judge commented that she found this “hard to believe”.
A GP’s report was submitted to the court.
Judge Patricia Harney said having seen the injury, she believes it was inflicted at a very close nature.
Judge Harney said she has “terrible sympathy” with the garda who was assaulted over the course of his duty. The judge commented that Ms Delaney appears to have “a history of violence”.
Judge Harney proceeded to convict and sentence Ms Delaney to four months’ imprisonment, which was backdated to May 1, 2025, when she first entered custody.
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