Two years for mother who kicked pregnant garda in stomach

An alcoholic mother who kicked a pregnant garda in the stomach in 2003 has been given a two years prison sentence by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Jacqueline Keogh (aged 23) of Bunratty Road, Coolock pleaded guilty to assaulting Garda Georgina Grey at Lucan Station, causing her harm and to doing criminal damage to a telephone kiosk on June 1, 2003.

Judge White was told that Keogh had been in custody for one year and he also suspended the final six months of the two year sentence. He had told Keogh in May 2006 that if she got treatment for her alcohol problem he would deal with the case through a suspended sentence,

Mr Paul Greene BL, defending, noted at the May 2006 hearing that Keogh had been in custody since July 2005 "due to her own silliness" after she was arrested on a bench warrant, having failed to appear for her scheduled trial in March 2005.

Mr Greene said she was "her own worse enemy" and that alcohol "is a root cause of why she is before the court". He said her son was out of the jurisdiction which he said was "a cause of great regret to her" but had done well to improve herself while in custody and was awarded certificates which were handed into court.

Judge White told Keogh that her assault on a pregnant woman was "inexcusable behaviour" and she had to deal with her alcohol problem to avoid coming before the court again. He said Gda Grey was very worried at the time about her condition but fortunately everything had turned out well for her.

Garda Justin Morrissey told Ms Mary Rose Gearty BL, prosecuting, that he encountered Keogh in a drunken state in a phone box in which she was hammering the receiver off the dialling area.

Gda Morrissey said that when being taken to a cell, Keogh turned suddenly and kicked Gda Grey, who was five to six months pregnant at the time, in the stomach.

Keogh's sentence was reactivated yesterday after a report given to the court said she was not cooperating with the probation service in her rehabilitation.

Judge Michael White ordered that she serve her full 2 year term but suspended that last six months. Keogh has already spent a year in prison which was also deducted from her sentence.