Woman spared jail for ‘fairly ferocious attack’ on female garda

A woman who was never in trouble before was ordered to do community service yesterday for what a sentencing judge described as “a fairly ferocious attack” on a garda.

Gillian McCarthy, 28, of Glendooneen, Riverstick, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting Garda Claire Sheehan — the first time at Patrick St, Cork, and later at the Bridewell Garda Station where she attempted to bite the officer’s face.

Judge Leo Malone said he would take the second assault into consideration but, on the more serious assault charge which took place on the street, he was imposing a 160-hour community service order instead of four months in prison.