Garda inquiry after woman locked in cell
Michelle Quinn, who also looks after her four-year-old daughter, spent last Tuesday night in the cells at the Bridewell Garda Station, in Cork, after failing to appear as a witness in a court case.
She was taken from her home at Inchera Park, Mahon, by gardaí on Tuesday evening, a few hours after the case was adjourned because of her non-appearance.
“I was shocked when they arrived. My mother, Peggy, cried, my daughter, Kaya, cried. There was pandemonium in the house,” Ms Quinn said.
She claimed she didn’t even have time to grab her toothbrush.
“It was a really horrible experience. The bed clothes in the cell were manky looking. I couldn’t get to sleep until 6.30am, because the light and the fan were on the whole time and they (the gardaí) kept coming along every 20 minutes to ask if I was okay,” she said.
Ms Quinn said despite her ordeal, her thoughts were with her 51-year-old mother, who suffers from motor neurone disease, and her young daughter.
“I think during the night that somebody brought in a drunk man to the station. All I could hear was roaring and drunken moaning. It was a horrifying experience,” Ms Quinn said.
The following morning she said she was escorted by four gardaí to the courthouse at Washington Street to explain her non-appearance.
Supt Michael Finn, who is based at Anglesea Street Garda Station, confirmed yesterday that he is carrying out an inquiry into the incident. He said a warrant was issued by the court and that gardaí had been obliged to execute it.
“There is a legal requirement that if a court is not sitting, that we would hold a person,” Supt Finn said.
Ms Quinn said she “genuinely forgot about the case” and that gardaí had called to her home early on Tuesday, where they informed her stepfather that she had to turn up.
“He couldn’t get in touch with me because the battery went in my mobile phone,” she said.
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