GARDAÍ responding to a call from a neighbour arrived to find a woman holding three knives in a locked bathroom, a court heard.

Leanne Schwarz (33) of 15 Newbridge Park, Skibbereen pleaded guilty at Skibbereen District Court to an obstruction charge and a charge of producing a knife.

Colette McCarthy, solicitor, told Judge Joanne Carroll in mitigation that her client had been dealing with a very stressful situation.

Court presenter Sgt Eimear O'Connell outlined how Gda Joseph Maher responded to a report about a domestic welfare incident on April 24th 2025 and had knocked on the door but he received no reply. 

Gda Maher found two people in the upstairs bathroom.

The accused, who was sitting on the toilet, behaved in an angry and threatening manner, said Sgt O’Connell.

Sgt O'Connell said the accused produced three kitchen knives and refused to drop them. She had to be pepper-sprayed and both her and her former partner were removed from the bathroom.

The court heard that the accused has five previous convictions, all of which were for road traffic matters.

Ms McCarthy said her client is a recovering drug addict and is now gainfully employed.

She said that after falling back into a relationship with this man, her client has also fallen back into addiction despite having been drug-free for a considerable period of time.

Ms McCarthy said a neighbour called the gardaí while her client was dealing with a highly stressful situation in which the man in the bathtub was threatening to kill himself.

'She had gathered up the knives and he was screaming at her not to let anyone into the place,' said Ms McCarthy, who pointed out that her client was not brandishing the knives​ but merely holding them by her side.

Judge Carroll reminded the solicitor that Sgt O’Connell had described Leanne Schwarz's behaviour as aggressive and that she had to be pepper-sprayed. But Ms McCarthy insisted that her client was in 'a complete state of panic.'

Judge Carroll said the garda had risked his own life coming to the accused's aid.

'He responded to a very serious incident and went into the bathroom not knowing what he was going to be met with,' she said.

And while the incident might have been traumatic for the accused, Judge Carroll observed: 'That explains her behaviour but it doesn't excuse it.'

Judge Carroll adjourned the case to June 23rd for the production of a probation officer's report and a report by her addiction counsellor.

'The longer she is sober the better it will be from her perspective,' the judge advised.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.