Dolores O'Riordan: ‘You can’t arrest me. I’m the queen of Limerick’
The multi-million selling singer told officers during her arrest at Shannon Airport on November 10 last year that she was an icon and the queen of Limerick.
O’Riordan, who has since been diagnosed as suffering bipolar disorder, admitted four offences including assault and obstructing a garda during the incident following a flight from New York’s JFK Airport.
Ennis District Court was told she accused a garda of groping her and sexually assaulting her during the arrest, a claim which has since been retracted.
The court heard O’Riordan, who medics have suggested was suffering hypomania, sleep deprivation and paranoia at the time of the incident, threatened to sue arresting officers.
She also told them she paid their wages when they attempted to take her out of first class after flight EI 110 landed at 4.45am.
In evidence read to the court, Inspector Tom Kennedy said the singer-songwriter’s behaviour was at first erratic, then unruly, irate, threatening, irrational and aggressive.
“Ms O’Riordan was very belligerent,” he told the court.
“She said ‘you are not going to arrest me. I am an icon. I’m the queen of Limerick, I pay my taxes, I pay your wages. I’m going to sue you’.” Alcohol was not a factor, the court was told.
O’Riordan twice tried to flee custody after being arrested at the airport, once from an ambulance and once while in a patrol car.Garda Shane Dawson said the singer managed to free herself of one handcuff and forced open the door of a garda car while he wrote up his notes on the airport apron.
When she was restrained after a short chase, she headbutted the officer and spat in his eye, the court heard.
O’Riordan, dressed all in black and wearing black sunglasses on her arrival at the courthouse, did not give evidence in person.
She was supported for the hearing by her mother Eileen and one of her brothers.
Judge Patrick Durcan ordered O’Riordan to write letters of apology to all those affected in the incident while he considers sentencing.
The 44-year-old mother of three children aged 18, 14 and 10, who now lives in New York and is back working in the music business, will be sentenced at a date to be fixed next year.
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