Compensation of €500 was offered to the victim of a glassing attack when Judge Seamus Hughes warned the attacker that she would not get away without offering something for such a grievous assault, a recent sitting of Mullingar District Court heard.
Mother of two, Sharon McCarthy (24 ) of 15 Grange Meadows had indicated that while on social welfare, she had nothing to offer the victim.
However the judge was unimpressed, describing the assault as serious, and pointing out that McCarthy had come to court “without a red cent”.
Compensation was upmost in his mind, he said, adding that McCarthy must offer something in accordance with her circumstances.
He said he would rather the victim receive compensation than the Exchequer receive a fine.
He also described a probation report before the court as only “so-so”.
When she returned after lunch with an offer of €500, the judge said it was not ungenerous considering her circumstances.
That she had attacked “a young, good-looking girl” had made her case worse and it was “a pity about her” if she had to take money out of her social welfare to make up the compensation.
The money would go “a long way towards the punishment I intend to inflict on her”, he concluded as he adjourned the case to November.
