‘Horrifying’: Longford woman wished 'death on the children of Gardaí’
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Longford District Court Judge Vincent Deane said ‘it is a particularly horrifying thing that the defendant said’
A woman, who wished 'death on the children of Gardaí' who came to her assistance when she was drunk and lying in the middle of a busy road, has been given a two month suspended prison sentence.
Josephine Maguire (55) of Aughagreagh, Aughnacliffe, Co Longford pleaded guilty at Longford District Court to two public order breaches at Moxham Street, Granard.
Sergeant Enda Daly, for the State, said gardaí received a report at 9.20pm that a female was in distress in the town and they went to the area.
"Upon arrival gardaí discovered that she was heavily intoxicated and she was drinking out of a bottle of vodka in the middle of the road.
"She was lying down in the middle of the road and rolling around.
"She was a danger to herself and oncoming traffic.
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"When offered assistance she became highly abusive and threatened gardaí.
"She wished death on all of the children of gardaí present and she was subsequently arrested under Section 4 and Section 6 of the Public Order Act."
Sgt Daly said Ms Maguire had six previous convictions.
Solicitor Frank Gearty, defending, acknowledged his client has a drink problem and he said she regretted her actions and she was trying to make changes in order to avoid getting into trouble in future.
"She is a highly intelligent lady and she knows exactly how appalling it is what she said and she is extremely apologetic.
"She is horrified by what she did."
Mr Gearty said his client has been managing very well for the past few years but unfortunately there has been a succession of events and some very difficult family circumstances that had led her down the wrong path.
"It was her own frustration as the wheels of justice started to be administered. She was quite rightly arrested for her own safety as much as anything else being taken into custody that she expressed herself in the way that she did.”
Mr Gearty said his client wanted Judge Deane and the court to know she believed the offence was not a true or accurate representation of her as a person.
"That, she would like you to think, is not herself but rather the Dr Jekyll and Ms Hyde that was there that day.
"Behind that she is a decent lady who understands the consequences of what she did and she takes full responsibility."
Mr Gearty said his client has repeatedly asked him if she could make a payment to a poor box and she had presented herself in court in a sober fashion and on time and in a punctual manner.
Judge Deane noted the guilty plea and despite the upsetting nature of the public order breaches he decided to give the defendant an opportunity.
Judge Deane decided to impose a two month jail sentence, which was suspended for one year and he outlined how terrible Ms Maguire’s comments had been.
"It is a particularly horrifying thing that she said," he added.