A GARDA was forced to get a tetanus and Hepatitis B vaccine after a woman spat in her face while being searched at a garda station, a court heard.

Rosemary Howick (48) of 4 Castleview, Kilbrittain pleaded not guilty at Bandon District Court to two counts of assaulting Gda Joanne Desmond as well as being drunk in a public place and or using or engaging in abusive, threatening words or behaviour.

Gda Desmond told the court that she was on duty in the patrol car in Kinsale on November 22nd last when they received a report about a woman being drunk, abusive and aggressive at the bus stop on Pier Road. ‘On arrival we found Ms Howick sitting at the bus stop drinking a can of beer. She was drunk and slurring her words. She was also snarling and was directing biting gestures at female tourists who were in the area,’ said Gda Desmond.

She was arrested and became abusive en route to Bandon Garda Station, the garda said, adding: ‘She told us that she would skin us alive and that everyone wanted us dead.’

As they approached Bandon town Ms Howick opened the rear passenger window and started kicking out at the door. She came from the back seat and punched Gda Desmond’s right leg twice.

Gda Desmond said when escorted to a cell ‘she continued to be abusive and we had to get assistance. I went to take off her earrings and she then spat at me directly making contact with my mouth.’

Gda Desmond said she later had to attend both Soutdoc and CUH in order to get a tetanus and Hepatitis B vaccine.

During the court hearing Ms Howick was removed from the court due to her disruptive behaviour saying: ‘You might as well give me the death penalty.’

Defence solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said his client maintained that the spitting was ‘incidental’.

Gda Ricky O’Sullivan told the court that he saw the accused spitting at his colleague’ face, while Gda Tanya Reilly said the accused was resisting the search and calling them tramps.

Judge Monika Leech said it must have been a source of great stress for Gda Desmond, who did not wish to make a victim impact statement. Judge Leech said she was satisfied that Ms Howick did assault Gda Desmond.

The court heard that Ms Howick has 44 previous convictions including two for assault and 21 for public order offences.  Mr Taaffe told Judge Leech that the court is aware that his client suffers from bipolar but refuses to accept the diagnosis.

‘Sometimes she’s her own worst enemy. She’s extremely impulsive and is easily triggered. She suffers from mental health issues and has been with the Probation Service before to deal with anger management issues,’ he said.

In sentencing Judge Leech said she would have to take into account aggravating factors such as the ‘abhorrent nature of the offence’ and the fact that it was an assault on a member of An Garda Síochána in the course of their duty by a woman clearly out of control.

‘Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to have learned anything from previous occasions and was removed from the court earlier due to her behaviour. She has not issued an apology to Gda Desmond either,’ said Judge Leech.

The judge sentenced her two months in prison for spitting at Gda Desmond. She found the facts proven in the other assault and took into consideration this charge and the drunk in public charge.

She sentenced her to seven days for the more serious public order charge which is to run concurrently to the two-month sentence imposed.

Recognisances in the event of an appeal were fixed in the defendant’s own bond of €200.