Two sisters from Longford avoid custodial sentences following 2022 incident in Longford store

Two sisters involved in an affray, which forced a Longford department store to temporarily close in March 2022, have avoided custodial sentences following a hearing in Longford Circuit Court.

Cindy Duignan (41), of Ardnacassa Avenue, Longford, and her sister Teresa Dinnegan (38) of Springlawn, Longford, appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Longford Circuit Court, having pleaded guilty to a count each of affray.

That incident took place on March 16, 2022, at Penneys, Longford Centre, in front of staff and customers, with a third woman, Annalise Power, who has already been sentenced before the court for affray and production of a knife. Ms Power was handed an 18 month prison term, which was suspended for two years.

Garda John Fitzmaurice, when questioned before the court by Shane Geraghty BL, for the state, outlined that he had spoken to a security guard in Penneys who detailed an incident in the homeware section of the store.

He observed Ms Power lying on the ground with Ms Duignan and Ms Dinnegan on top of her, punching her, while she hit back.

When the women were separated, Ms Power ran to her bag in the candle section and returned with a knife, which she used in an attempt to stab the women.

She waved the knife at them, shouting “let me go, I’m going to stab you” at the co-accused. The women blocked the knife with Ms Dinnegan receiving a “nasty wound” to her forearm.

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The security guard told Gardaí that one of the blondes - Ms Dinnegan - was “most aggressive” and “didn’t seem bothered by the knife”.

Gda Fitzmaurice told the court that, upon arrival, he observed blood, clumps of hair, an earring and broken items on the floor of the store.

The store had to be shut for the rest of the day, and staff were sent home with pay. The estimated loss of earnings was €13,000, with the company losing €500 to the payment of staff.

The two women went to Midoc, where Gardaí met them and took statements. Ms Duignan told Gardáí that she saw Ms Power and Ms Dinnegan on the floor, and went to separate them.

She said Ms Power was shouting “come out and I will stab ye”, so she pushed her sister, “Baby T”, back and put a trolley between them, but Ms Power “stabbed Baby T”.

Ms Dinnegan outlined how Ms Power had been “giving us the eye and following us”. She said she went to the candle section and Ms Power followed her. She said Ms Power had two knives and that she was stabbed in the wrist and the head.

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She also told Gardaí that there was no animosity before this, and that the only reason she could think of for the altercation was that Ms Power’s brother was making threats to another part of the family on social media.

She said she and her sister were not involved in a feud, but that there was feuding on the other side of the family. “She was like a maniac,” she said of Ms Power.

Ms Dinnegan has three previous convictions, including one for violent disorder in September 2009. Ms Duignan has nine previous convictions, including one for the same violent disorder.

Niall Flynn BL, for Ms Dinnegan, said his client had written a letter expressing her “heartfelt and deep apologies”, and her “shame and regret” at what had happened. She also had a sum of €1,000 in court as a token of remorse.

Ms Dinnegan is mother to one child and her husband is currently serving a prison sentence, the court heard.

“It has been 16 years since her previous conviction. She has only come to the attention of Gardaí once since then, and not at all since this offence,” said Mr Flynn.

Nichola Delaney BL, for Ms Duignan, told the court that her client was a mother of three who raised her children alone.

She has a modest means, which is “barely enough to make ends meet”, since she lost her job in Center Parcs as a result of this case. However, she had borrowed €500 from family members to offer as a token of remorse.

“There’s a good work ethic in the family home and she is actively seeking new employment,” said Ms Delaney.

Judge Connolly noted that, if a jury had been required and the women had been convicted, “the court’s hands would have been tied into an immediate custodial sentence”.

He also said it was “helpful” that the incident didn’t arise out of feuding because “I’m blue in the face saying feuding equals jail”.

“I won’t tolerate it. It has to be eradicated and I’m heartened to hear that this matter did not arise in circumstances of feuding,” he said.

“These two women have no doubt been partners in crime over the years, which is to their great shame,” he said, referring to the violent disorder incident they were both convicted of in 2009.

“But that marked the end of all relevant offending, which is welcome news,” he said.

Both women have “very relevant” previous convictions, he noted, though the violent disorder is of “significant history”.

He also noted that neither accused had come to the adverse attention of An Garda Síochána since the incident in Penneys, as well as a wide number of other mitigating factors, including guilty pleas.

In the case of Ms Dinnegan, he imposed a 12 month prison sentence, which he suspended for two years, with an order for the €1,000 brought to court to be handed over to Penneys “to offset some of the losses”.

Ms Dinnegan has also been ordered to submit herself to the probation service to work on training and employment opportunities.

Ms Duignan, he said, couldn’t be accused of being the instigator of the incident: “she involved herself, but in her mind she was coming to the aid of her sister.”

He imposed 70 hours of community service on Ms Duignan, in lieu of nine months in prison. He also ordered the €500 to be handed over to Penneys.

Ms Duignan is also to submit herself to the supervision of the probation service for one year, particularly with regard to the return to employment.