A judge told a young woman who battered her former partner’s sister in a club and on the street over a perceived minor slight, that he had “taken a dislike” to her.
“Get rid of this butch type of non-feminine behaviour. It’s very unattractive to the opposite sex,” declared Judge Seamus Hughes to Mairead Murphy (25 ), of Hillside Close, Monksland, Athlone at a recent sitting.
Earlier the court heard how Murphy had been in Rick’s on Church Street on the evening of May 28, 2011 when her sister told her she’d overheard Janet Cassin allege that Murphy “was on the gear”.
“Ms Murphy caught Ms Cassin by the hair and pulled her down to the ground. She then poured a bottle of Bulmers on her, and followed her out onto the street where she continued to hit and kick her,” said Inspector Nicholas Farrell.
Judge Hughes asked Ms Cassin where she was kicked, and she told him she was kicked on the shoulder and the hip, and that a friend of hers had to cover her from further blows.
After hearing there was no CCTV footage of the incident, Judge Hughes sighed: “Wouldn’t it have been lovely to play it here on a big screen and have Ms Murphy give a running commentary?”
Murphy said she had no recollection of the incident.
“So, maybe you were on the gear?” asked the judge.
“No. I was just drinking,” said Murphy.
Ms Cassin told how she had got a text message from the defendant on the following Monday apologising, and saying that she would go to the Garda station herself and “take all repercussions”.
Murphy’s solicitor, Mr Mark Cooney, told the court that there had been “some family law issues” between his client and Ms Cassin’s brother over their child.
“Her nephew is my son,” said Murphy.
“I haven’t seen my nephew in two years,” countered Ms Cassin.
“For a woman with no previous [convictions] she seems to be very relaxed in court. Is it water off a duck’s back?” asked the judge of Mr Cooney, who assured the judge it was not.
“I want to make your Christmas sparse,” he added, before ordering Murphy to come up with €500 compensation for Ms Cassin by December 19.
“Her children may suffer,” warned Mr Cooney.
“Well, that’s her fault,” retorted Judge Hughes.
Ms Cassin then interjected, saying she would prefer if the money was spent on her nephew.
Judge Hughes said she could choose to do so if she so wished, but ordered that Murphy make the payment to her victim firstly.
“I’ve taken a dislike to you. Don’t play me,” he said to Murphy.
