Women in vicious brawl outside school

Children arriving for school saw two women rolling around the ground in a vicious brawl, where one woman had her clothes ripped off and a man who tried to break up the fight ended up with a fractured skull.

The brawl which took place outside a rural Co Limerick school, entailed “a degree of savagery”, a court heard.

The two were rolling on the ground in view of children and their parents going to school and a nearby creche. The partner of one of the women, who acted as referee for the fight, hit another man with a hurley, fracturing his skull, after he tried to intervene.

The scene described as one of violent chaos was recalled yesterday at Limerick Circuit Court where it emerged the fight had its origins in the sale of Chihuahua pup.

Det Garda Michael Reidy said: “This was at 9.10am on a summer’s morning when this vicious fight took place in a rural community as people were passing by to drop children to school and a nearby creche.

“One of the women had all her clothes removed as they continued fighting. The whole thing descended into chaos.”

Jeremiah Morey, aged 29, of 1 Coonagh Court, Doon, the man who was said to have refereed the women’s brawl, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Gerry Hennessy of Cooga, Doon.

Morey hit Mr Hennessy over the head with a hurley, fracturing his skull when Mr Hennessy went to break up the fight.

Det Garda Reidy said there had been a falling out between Morey and Mr Hennessy after a Chihuahua pup sold by Mr Hennessy to Morey died and there was a dispute regarding compensation.

Det Garda Reidy said Mr Hennessy had dropped his two sons to primary school in Doon on the morning of June 7, 2013.

His two teenage daughters were still in the car with him when a rock came crashing through the back window.

A woman driving behind him, Sharon Cahill stopped and saw Morey walk away from the scene towards his own house at Coonagh Court.

She followed Morey and as she did so she was confronted by Morey’s partner, Kathleen Stickle.

An explosive fight erupted involving the two women and as it developed, Morey acted as a referee.

Det Garda Reidy said: “The two women ended rolling on the ground in a brawl. One woman (Ms Stickle) had all her clothes removed as they continued fighting.”

Mr Hennessy then arrived on the scene and tried to separate the women.

As he did so, he was struck over the head by Morey with a hurley. On being brought to the A&E he was found to have suffered a fractured skull.

Mr Hennessy told the court that the attack had a serious impact on his life. He suffered anxiety attacks and had become reclusive, so much so he did not attend his mother’s wake or the funerals of a number of friends.

Morey, a native of Limerick city, had 53 previous convictions, seven of which were for assault, the court was told.

Judge Tom O’Donnell said due to the seriousness of the assault and the contents Mr Hennessy’s victim impact statement, he wanted to give the matter further consideration and adjourned sentence to December 10.

Morey was remanded on continuing bail.