A 26-year-old mother who hit the drink at her baby’s christening and then hit another woman during a “fracas” in Salthill was fined €500 at Galway District Court last Monday.
Bridget Mongan (26 ) with an address at 313 Castlepark, Ballybane, was brought before Judge Mary Fahy and pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and threatening and abusive behaviour at Upper Salthill, on December 12, 2008.
Inspector Sean Glynn told the court that at 11pm gardai were called to the scene at Upper Salthill where a “fracas” was taking place. He said that when gardai arrived they observed the defendant “fighting with family members” and she had been hitting a female.
Defence solicitor Louise Howard said that her client, who is the mother of four children, had been at her son’s christening. She added that her son was only two weeks old and that Mongan had abstained from alcohol during her pregnancy but on this occasion had a few drinks. Ms Howard said that unfortunately the alcohol “hit her harder” than she expected.
Inspector Glynn then told Judge Fahy that the defendant had a previous conviction for similar public order offences in October 2005 where she received a fine.
“That wasn’t the proper way to behave at an occasion like that,” said Judge Fahy who then fined the defendant a total of €500 with three months to pay.
