A woman who smeared blood all over a desk at Galway Garda Station before flicking more blood directly at gardai has been fined a total of €600 with five months to pay.
Noreen Npotu (27 ) with an address at Eglinton Hotel appeared before Galway District Court on Monday charged with being intoxicated in a public place, threatening and abusive behaviour, and failing to obey garda orders at Headford Road on July 12, 2011.
Garda Amanda Brandley gave evidence that she had been on mobile patrol at 3.05am when she observed two females having an altercation in the back of a taxi. The defendant, who was bleeding profusely from the nose, stepped out of the vehicle while the other woman left the scene. Garda Brandley said that she asked the defendant to go home and clean herself up, however Npotu refused and told Garda Brandley she was not going anywhere. Despite Garda Brandley offering to call another taxi to take her home, Npotu again refused to leave and was then arrested and conveyed to Galway Garda Station.
While Garda Brandley was informing the officer in charge of the situation, Npotu became very aggressive in the custody area before using her right hand to wipe across her bloody nose and then smear the blood all over the desk. When Garda Brandley directed the defendant to refrain from such actions Nputu wiped her heavily bleeding nose again and again and proceeded to flick blood at gardai present. She the picked up her phone and threw it at gardai, and insulted them, prompting gardai to restrain her.
Defence solicitor Sean Acton said that his client, who has no previous convictions, had been the one who was assaulted and that a few days later she apologised to the gardai involved for her behaviour.
“She had an altercation and she seems to have taken it out on gardai,” replied Judge Mary Fahy.
Mr Acton explained that Npotu is a Zimababwian national and an asylum seeker with one child living on €19.10 per week. He added that Npotu doesn’t ordinarily drink alcohol but on this occasion she had been at a party and had consumed five drinks.
After careful consideration, Judge Fahy noted that in view of the Christian nature of the gardai who accepted the apology she would deal with the matter by way of a fine of €600 with five months to pay.
