Judge orders Blackpool mum to stay out of West Cork

A CORK city mum-of-two has been told to stay out of West Cork after she was taken off a bus for being drunk and causing a disturbance over a missing phone.

Skye Moran of 1 Na Fuinseoga, Springlane, Blackpool, Cork city pleaded guilty at Bandon District Court to being drunk in a public place and using or engaging in threatening, abusive words or behaviour.

Sgt Trish O’Sullivan told the court that on June 6th last at 6pm gardaí in Bandon received a call in relation to a woman causing a disturbance on a Bus Éireann bus going from Clonakilty to Bandon.

‘When the bus pulled in at the Glasslyn Road, the bus driver pointed out the defendant to Gda Gleeson, who escorted her off the bus. She then started to be abusive to both the bus driver and Gda Gleeson and shouted; “This is a fucking disgrace. How will I get home?”’ said Sgt O’Sullivan.

‘She continued to be abusive and was shouting in front of people aboard the bus and people outside who were at the bus stop.’

The court heard that Ms Moran has 42 previous convictions, including 26 under theft and fraud offences, nine for road traffic, three for assault and two for public order.

Her solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said his client, who is a mother of two children, has alcohol issues, had been in residential treatment and has suffered multiple traumas. ‘She was on the bus with her friend whose phone went missing and she felt she was being accused of stealing it. This was the first time she broke out after four years of sobriety,’ said Mr Taaffe.

Judge James McNulty said the court is sympathetic to her, but she was causing a disturbance and upsetting passengers.

‘She should be leading a sober life,’ he said.

The judge sentenced her to 60 days in prison and refused to suspend it as he said she had previously received a suspended sentence for theft in the same court.

‘You don’t get suspended sentences twice in West Cork,’ he remarked.

‘Her public order offending is causing annoyance to other citizens and it’s time to call a halt and say goodbye.’ He also directed that she stay out of West Cork as a condition of her bail while pending her appeal for the sentence.