A GLANDORE woman, who said she doesn’t recognise the legitimacy of the court, could face being in contempt if she doesn’t hand over her German Shepherd dog to the dog warden in order for it to be put down, a court heard last week.
At Bandon District Court, Judge Monika Leech convicted and fined Jacinta Looney a total of €2,000 for failing to control her dog on several occasions, including failing to have a muzzle secured on her dog in a public place or be led by a sufficiently strong chain or leash.
Ms Looney (57) of 13 The Cove, Glandore was arrested at her workplace last Thursday morning due to four bench warrant being outstanding for her arrest after she failed to appear in court on previous occasions, where she had been convicted of these dog control offences.
Sgt Padraig Ó Conchúir of Clonakilty Garda Station told Judge Leech that he arrested her that morning at her school workplace on foot of these four bench warrants.
‘She has evaded the execution of these bench warrants to the nth degree,’ he said. ‘We have contacted her and called to her house and left cards for her to ring us. She told me she would appear at Clonakilty District Court on April 15th last but did not appear. We called to her home and she wasn’t there but I did receive written correspondence from her.’
He said he feared that if the matter wasn’t decided upon, gardaí would have to go looking for her again and he had grave concerns that she wouldn’t attend court.
Solicitor Patricia Murphy of Cork County Council said that Ms Looney was convicted in her absence for breaches of the dog control act at Skibbereen District Court on May 14th 2024 and on December 10th 2024.
Judge Leech ‘strongly advised’ Ms Looney that she should engage the services of a solicitor, but she said she could speak for herself and declined to get a solicitor. ‘These are all allegations and there is no evidence. I did write to the gardaí and the Council solicitor and got nothing back,’ she said. Judge Leech reminded her that she had the opportunity to attend court for her cases but chose not to.‘I don’t recognise the legitimacy of this court,’ said Ms Looney.
The court heard that she has no previous convictions and Judge Leech convicted and fined her a total of €2,000 on four counts of the breaches, giving her four months to pay the fine.
The judge also ordered the destruction of the dog and directed that the dog be delivered to the dog warden with Ms Looney to pay the expenses.
However, Ms Murphy said she had ‘no faith’ that Ms Looney would deliver the dog to the dog warden and pointed out that despite fixed charge notices having been issued, they still remain unpaid. She also said she was told that the dog is currently in Ballincollig and no longer in Glandore.
Judge Leech told Ms Looney that if she doesn’t deliver the dog with immediate effect, she will be in contempt of court and could go to prison.
