A Mullingar woman has pleaded guilty to assaulting her ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend by pulling her hair and banging her head to the ground.
Inspector Kieran Keyes told Mullingar District Court that there had been an ongoing dispute between Alison Wymes of 5 Green Road, Mullingar and the victim, Laura Brady.
When the single mother of one met Ms Brady on Dominick Street in the very early hours of September 6 2009, a scuffle took place, during which she bit Ms Brady’s lower lip, pulled her hair out, and behaved in a threatening manner.
Ms Brady’s phone was also taken during the incident but was later returned.
The victim’s statement was read to the court, during which she outlined that she had seen Ms Wymes when they had been socialising but the two women hadn’t spoken.
However, the 27-year-old attacked her from behind when they left, pulled her hair, banged her head to the ground, and when her boyfriend tried to pull her off, she hit him across the head with the heel of her stiletto.
She then began taunting Ms Brady saying “Look what I’ve got,” referring to her handbag.
Mr Louis Kiernan said his client Ms Wymes took full responsibility for the incident and reminded the court that when charged her reply had been “I’m sorry”.
She has since apologised to Ms Brady, whom she hadn’t met until the night of the incident, though there had been text communication between them.
A combination of “alcohol and emotion” had been behind the attack which he said was out of character for his client.
He said there had been a context for the incident but that his client had learned a great lesson and was embarrassed. She would have to live with the consequences, he told the court.
She had brought €500 which she had saved from her part-time work to show her contrition.
Judge David Anderson described the incident as serious and said he would ordinarily consider imposing a custodial sentence in a case where someone attacks a person they have never met.
However he noted Ms Wymes had pleaded guilty and ordered a probation report, advising that its recommendations be followed.
