Girl who threatened garda's children gets probation

A 17-year-old girl, who threatened to burn down a Garda’s home and then said she would slit his children’s throats after she attacked him, has been given the benefit of the Probation Act.

The girl had been caught drinking in a public place and when her alcohol was confiscated by gardai she reacted violently and later created havoc at a garda station, the Dublin Children’s Court had heard.

The girl had been convicted earlier for being drunk and disorderly, in breach of the peace, assaulting two gardai and violent behaviour in a garda station, on October 16 last, which she had denied.

Finalising the case yesterday, Judge Mary Collins said that a positive probation report on the girl had been furnished to the court. She said that the girl had co-operated with probation officers and it was obvious from their report that she was not going to re-offend.

However, she warned the girl that in future she should “keep your tongue quiet.”

In January Garda Tara Corrigan, Ballyfermot Station, gave evidence that she and her colleague Garda Sergeant Jim Flanagan had been patrolling the Ballyfermot Road area when they came across a group of youths who were openly consuming alcohol and hassling passers-by.

The youths were directed to leave the area under the Public Order Act and all complied except the girl who was holding an open can of lager and had another hidden in her jacket.

The can of lager was confiscated by Sergeant Flanagan who emptied it onto the street in front of her. The girl then became abusive and called Garda Corrigan a “bitch” when she tried to search her.

Garda Sergeant Flanagan had said in evidence that the girl then became extremely aggressive and refused to calm down. Her boyfriend also tried to persuade her to calm down, but was unsuccessful.

She was then told that she was being arrested for breach of the public order act and when efforts were made to handcuff her, she lashed out striking Sergeant Flanagan on the face and then she kicked Garda Corrigan on her shin.

In the patrol car, after her arrest, she screamed and lashed out the whole way to Ballyfermot Garda Station. At the garda station her aggressive conduct continued and she continued shouting and refused to give her name and address.

Garda Sergeant Flanagan told the court that the girl then made two threats: “She said she would find where I live and burn me out, then find my kids and slit their f****** throats.”

“Throughout her detention she caused all I can describe as havoc: screaming, roaring, kicking the cell door persistently,” he had said.