Woman jailed for beating

A mother of two who beat a woman so badly that she will eventually lose all vision in her right eye has been jailed for five years by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Barbara Maguire (aged 25) had a "verbal altercation over a man" with Katrina Maher before she punched her in the face knocking her to the ground.

She then picked Ms Maher up and held her by the throat while she continued to "roar in her face" before she dragged her to the ground and kicked the victim three or four times in the face.

A victim impact report before the court said that Ms Maher still checks her sight every morning in the hope that she will have "a miraculous recovery". She lost her job as security guard at the time due to her limited vision.

Maguire, with addresses at Wellmount Crescent, Finglas, and Blessington Street, Dublin 7, was convicted by a jury on January 28 last of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Ms Maher (aged 34) and assaulting her causing her harm at Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, on October 2, 2005.

She had denied both charges. The Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi in relation to the assault causing harm charge at the sentence hearing this morning.

A co-accused who attacked Ms Maher while she was still on the ground is due for sentence later after she pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim causing her harm. Maguire claimed it was this woman that kicked Ms Maher in the head.

Judge Nolan said he had taken into account that Maguire came from "a dysfunctional family and had a tragic background" but added "I cannot go behind the facts of the case".

He said Ms Maher had suffered very serious injuries and that she had been left with long term difficulties that "will probably cause her a lot of sadness in the future".