Mother assaulted woman whose shouting woke her

A young mother received a suspended two-year sentence for assaulting a woman after she was woken up by shouting outside her bedroom window in the early morning.

Natasha Kavanagh, aged 24, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Lamb Alley, Dublin, on July 13, 2014.

Kavanagh, of La Rochelle Apartments, Lamb Ally, struck Catriona Traynor with a hammer after getting into a row with the victim and her friend Karen Carter, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The victims had arrived at the apartment block at 8am after a night partying. Ms Carter began calling up to the window of her boyfriend’s apartment to wake him up.

Kavanagh stuck her head out of her window and told the women to shut up. The women began shouting and abusing each other and Kavanagh threw a carton of milk down on Ms Carter.

When the shouting continued, Kavanagh and her then-boyfriend walked down to the women. A scuffle ensued. The boyfriend, who is before the court, had a hammer in his hand, and handed it to Kavanagh, Ms Carter told gardaí. Kavanagh then hit Ms Traynor twice on the head.