A 26-years-old who was charged with a section two assault on a woman on New Year’s Day, after she fired a glass at the woman in a public bar, was sentenced to jail by Judge Mary Devins at Ballinrobe District Court this week.
Tracey Leonard, with an address at Lough Mask Road, Ballinrobe, pleaded guilty to throwing a glass at a woman on New Year’s Day at Silky’s Bar in Ballinrobe. The glass was thrown at the woman, who the defendant knew, out of no provocation.
Garda Mark Crehan outlined to the court that on viewing CCTV the defendant was seen five to 10 yards away from the other woman before she threw the glass which landed at the injured party’s feet and shattered. There were also a number of witnesses to the incident.
Solicitor for Leonard, Aidan Crowley, said that the defendant had appeared before the courts earlier in the year where evidence was heard in relation to a public order offence which happened in October 2007. The new matter before the courts according to Mr Crowley followed a night when the defendant drank too much and threw the glass at the woman as the woman was going out with the father of her now seven-year-old child.
The defending solicitor said that his client now accepts that she has difficulty with alcohol and anger management. There was no GP letter in court to verify this, however there was a letter from the Ballinrobe Mental Health Centre where she had an appointment scheduled.
Mr Crowley told the court that Leonard knows that a section two assault carries a maximum prison sentence of six months, but urged the judge not to impose a custodial sentence as she would have to leave her daughter in the care of someone else. The judge asked her who was looking after her when she was out drinking (which she was entitled to do ) and firing glasses?
Judge Devins added: “I give everyone one chance,” outlining that the original public order charge was put back to show that she had behaved herself, but instead Leonard reoffended, this time committing an assault. The defendant was convicted and fined €300 for the public order offence committed last October and also sentenced her to 28 days in prison. For the section two assault, Leonard was convicted and fined €500 and given two months in prison consecutive. Recognisances were fixed.
