Woman ripped open blouse and accused gardaí of rape

A woman ripped open her blouse as she ran towards gardaí and claimed that officers were raping her.

That was the evidence given by Garda Brendan Hanafin at Cork District Court yesterday.

Breda Casey, aged 46, of 7, Avondale House, Model Farm Rd, Cork, pleaded guilty to charges of being drunk and a source of danger and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour arising out of the incident outside a house at The Belfry, Model Farm Rd, on July 12.

Casey came out of the house in a highly aggressive manner twice that evening.

“She came out and ran over to us and said the Dundons were in the trees and were going to get us,” Garda Hanafin said.

She then returned to the house but came out again and began shouting at them for a second time.

“She came over to us, ripped open her top and said gardaí were raping her. She had to be arrested,” Garda Hanafin said.

Defence solicitor Diane Hallahan said that about a year ago there was a tragic death of a relative of the accused and she suffered a breakdown.

The solicitor said that on the night of her arrest for the incident involving Bishopstown gardaí Casey had to be admitted to the psychiatric unit of a hosp- ital.

Judge Leo Malone asked the garda where he would put the accused’s condition on a scale of intoxication. Garda Hanafin replied that she was at the higher end of the scale on the night in question.

Ms Hallahan said that the accused was also extremely unwell at the time of the incident.

The solicitor said that Casey went to her doctor and was later admitted to the psychiatric unit of a hospital.

Insp Ronan Kenneally said the defendant had 46 previous convictions including counts for public order and driving offences.

Complicating the case was the fact that prior to the incident near her home in July she had been given a five-month suspended jail term in another court.

It was suspended in April on condition that she would keep the peace for two years.

The offences in July put her in breach of that suspension so the case will have to be re-entered before that court for consideration of whether the original sentence should be imposed.

Sentencing on the July offences cannot take place until that is done, Judge Leo Malone indicated yesterday.