A mother and daughter were before Castlebar District Court on Wednesday for a string of public order offences, with the daughter sentenced to six months detention in the Dóchas centre.
At a court sitting in March, cases relating to Sarah Spence, 17 Thomas Street, Castlebar, and her daughter Harriet Higgins, Cosy House, Newtown, Castlebar (now residing in Donegal ), were heard. Spence was in court after being arrested for threatening and abusing staff members in the Accident and Emergency department of Mayo General Hospital on November 6 2009 at 11.20pm. Higgins pleaded guilty to a public order offence in Castlebar Garda station on November 7 2009 at 1.10am, where her mother was in custody following her arrest at the hospital. She also pleaded guilty to public order offences on February 7 2010 on New Antrim Street, Castlebar, at 2.30am where she abused gardaí and members of the public, and caused €120 worth of damage to a Garda car. Higgins also pleaded guilty to another public order charge after Spence called the gardaí to report an incident on March 3 2010 at 12.05am to their residence in Castlebar.
Judge Mary Devins ordered probation reports on both, which were furnished to her at this week’s sitting of Castlebar District Court. The report relating to Higgins was “not so good” according to the judge who sentenced Higgins to a total of six months detention in the Dóchas centre. In relation to Spence, Judge Devins adjourned matters for a further probation report to the first court in December.
