Woman who had ‘great potential’ found slumped near family home

A WOMAN currently serving a prison sentence for a breach of a safety order was sentenced to a further 12 months for public order charges that included biting a gardai and an attempted headbutt of a garda.

The woman, who cannot be named, has a history of chronic alcohol addiction, and was facing a slew of new charges at Tallaght District Court.

The court heard how the woman’s mother has a safety order in place to prevent her daughter coming into the family home in Rathfarnham.

Most of the new charges read out in court relate to drunk disorderly conduct in the vicinity of the family home, where gardai have been called by the mother.

On February 23, 2023, gardai responded to a call at the family home in Rathfarnham, finding the accused highly intoxicated outside the home. While being arrested, the woman attempted to bite and headbutt Garda Conor Lavin.

On January 23, 2024 the accused was found by gardai slumped outside the home holding a bottle of wine. On October 7, 2024, the accused became aggressive with gardai who had responded to a call from the mother, and kicked a patrol van.

On December 10, 2024, gardai observed the accused banging glass windows outside a Tesco in Rathfarnham shopping centre. She refused to leave when instructed by gardai and threatened gardai with abusive language.

The woman has 132 previous convictions, approximately 120 in relation to public order offences.

She was due to be released from prison on April 5, 2026.

The court heard that the woman has been trying to access rehabilitation services and that she is a primary carer for her mother who has early stage dementia.

Judge Patricia McNamara said she knew the woman from years back as someone with “great potential” but with a serious alcohol addiction that has led to problems for the family, the neighbours and gardai.

Judge McNamara sentenced the woman to two months for kicking the patrol van, five months for attempting to bite a garda and five months for public order offences – a total of 12 months to run consecutive to her current sentence.

“You had a lot before the court today,” said Judge McNamara.

Funded by the Local Courts Reporting Scheme