Courtmac woman who called gardaí then tried to punch them

A WOMAN who spat at gardaí and swung a punch at one of them after she called for their assistance at her home when a knife was brandished, has been convicted of assault.

Danielle Cashman (30) had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a garda, being drunk in a public place, and using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. She was back before Judge James McNulty at Clonakilty District Court recently for the production of a probation report.

On August 17th last at 8.35pm, Ms Cashman called gardaí about a man in her house who was brandishing a knife.

When they arrived at her home at Hilltop Cottage, Bareragh, Courtmascherry, she became very abusive and threatening to them. She went to throw a punch at Gda Tadhg Sammon but missed him, and began spitting at him and his colleague. Her bad behaviour continued in the back of the garda van while being brought to Bandon Garda Station following her arrest.

Judge McNulty said that she has an issue with ‘bad behaviour, bad conduct and bad attitude’.

The court was told that she has 20 previous convictions mainly made up of road traffic and public order offences.

At Clonakilty District Court last week, her solicitor Eamonn Fleming said there is no denying that the facts of the case were ‘appalling’. He said she has paid a €300 fine on the ‘drunk in a public place’ charge, and has written a letter of apology to Gda Sammon.

‘She has two children and she got out of an abusive relationship. She has got accommodation in a mobile home on her own and has had addiction issues and was the victim of abuse as a child,’ said Mr Fleming.

A probation report handed into court said that she presents a very high risk of reoffending and that she is always going to struggle as she has anger management issues and issues affecting her general mental health.

Mr Fleming said his client is in a better place now and didn’t have a good start in life. On the more serious public order charge, Judge McNulty directed her to enter a probation bond in her own bond of €100 with no cash required for one year, under the supervision of the probation services. He also convicted her on the assault charge but deferred penalty.

He said the court will want to see her every month for the near future and remanded her on continuing bail to appear in court on March 3rd next with an updated probation report.

‘The court will review her case again on April 16th and each month after and if there are any slippages, she is going off to Limerick Prison,’ said the judge.