Girl, 15, caught 'raining blows' on homeless woman

A 15-year-old girl who was caught “raining blows” on a homeless woman has been remanded on bail pending sentence at the Dublin Children’s Court.

The girl pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening behaviour at Dublin’s Westmoreland Street, on May 17 last. A charge for assault causing harm to the homeless woman, who is in her 40’s, was withdrawn. Gardaí had since been unable to locate her to obtain a statement of complaint.

Garda Brendan Wright said that when he arrived the girl was “fighting with another lady on the ground.”

He separated them but the girl remained “volatile, aggressive and had to be restrained.”

“The accused claims it was self defence, that it was provoked.” He also added that he did not accept the girl’s claim.

“She has pleaded guilty so it is obviously not self-defence what was the complaint,” replied Judge Clare Leonard.

“The other lady appears to be homeless and cannot be contacted to make a complaint. She received multiple blows to her body and head.”

The court heard that the girl had been let-off under the Probation Act 11 days previously for assault and public order offences.

Defence solicitor Mr John Quinn said the girl, who was accompanied to court by her mother, was not facing an assault charge and had pleaded guilty to a Public Order Act offence. He also submitted that she claimed she had been provoked.

However, said Judge Leonard: “The Garda is saying she was raining multiple blows on this lad.” How was her behaviour again?” she asked the Garda.

Garda Wright said “the other lady was on the ground. The accused had her by the hair and was kicking and punching her head.”

He also said the woman refused medical attention.

“If she is not accepting the facts there will be a hearing date. She either accepts her behaviour or does not there’s no fudging it,” the judge insisted.

She ordered a recess in the case to establish whether or not the girl was going to accept the facts or deny the allegations.

A half hour later the girl came back into court. The judge was told the girl was maintaining her guilty plea.

Judge Leonard noted this incident happened less than a fortnight after the girl had been let-off by the court on other charges.

Mr Quinn said the girl intended to commence a training course in September.

Explaining her actions on the night, the girl gesticulated as she spoke rapidly. “There was a man and he said ‘do you have a smoke?’. To be honest, I said ‘yea’ and gave him a light. The other woman said ‘have you got a smoke?’ I said no.”

“She got me by the head and started hitting me. I agree I did hit her back, then the copper came and I was being abusive.”

The judge said that given the nature of the incident it was possible illegal substances could have been a factor at which the girl tutted loudly. The judge also said should not have been out as late as she had been on the night of her arrest.

“She does have ADHD (Attention deficit hyper-activity disorder),” said the girl’s mum who added that she has imposed a 9pm curfew on her daughter.

The girl interjected again saying her medicine dosage had been increased recently.

Judge Leonard remanded the girl on bail pending sentence to allow time for a probation report to be obtained.