Two brazen young Galway girls who showed absolutely no remorse for viciously assaulting a woman as she walked home from work were both sentenced to five months with the final month suspended, at Galway District Court this week.
Judge Mary Fahy openly reprimanded the two defendants for failing to bring €500 compensation with them when their case resumed at Monday’s court sitting and for unashamedly displaying no signs of repentance for their actions.
Nineteen-year-old Aisling Stuart with an address at 58 Glenbaun, Ballybane, and 21-year-old Jacqueline O’Grady with an address at 45 Rian Luachra, Ballybane, appeared in court charged with assault at Ballybane Road on August 13, 2009.
The court heard that if the two defendants provided the compensation they were to be assessed for community service; however, their solicitors explained that their clients were unable to provide the money.
Inspector Sean Glynn said that the injured party was attacked by Stuart and O’Grady as she walked home from work. He added that Stuart has previous convictions for public order and possession of drugs offences while O’Grady has suspended sentences for road traffic offences and theft.
Judge Fahy noted that the two defendants had displayed no regret by failing to pay the compensation.
“This woman was viciously attacked by those who had nothing better to do than hanging around drinking... They pleaded guilty. The court does try to keep young people out of prison but they come in here without any compensation. One of them has a huge amount of suspended sentences, she got a huge amounts of chances and is still re-offending. They haven’t shown any real remorse,” said Judge Fahy, who then reprimanded the defendants for talking to each other as the case was being heard.
“You are not sorry for what you did,” said Judge Fahy, to which one defendant bluntly replied: “No”.
Judge Fahy then imposed a five month sentence and suspended the final month for a duration of eight months on condition that the two defendants enter a bond to be of good behaviour.
