‘I hope you die roaring,’ Cork woman shouted

By Liam Heylin

Hurling “awful” insults to gardaí resulted in a Mallow woman getting a suspended jail term.

The accused called the officer a fat bastard and expressed the hope that she would die roaring. Noreen McDonnell, of 32 Sandfield Terrace, Mallow, Co Cork, was given a four-month suspended jail sentence by Judge Olann Kelleher yesterday at Cork District Court.

“If you come before the court for anything in the next two years you will do the four months in prison,” Judge Kelleher said as he described the insults as awful.

Noreen McDonnell, aged 49, repeated her apologies and said, “I was not in my senses at the time. I had tried to get home. I sustained an injury that evening. I did write a letter of apology to the gardaí.”

McDonnell was convicted on four charges — one of engaging in threatening behaviour, one of being drunk and a danger and two counts of obstructing gardaí.

Garda Marie Geraghty previously testified, “On May 11 at 00.25am a member of the public stopped gardaí on MacCurtain Street and informed them that a female was highly intoxicated and verbally abusive to members of the public.”

Garda Geraghty saw Noreen McDonnell walking in the direction of Coburg St.

“She was unsteady on her feet and was still being verbally abusive to members of the public. The defendant then became abusive to us. She was arrested and conveyed to Mayfield garda station.

“She attempted to headbutt me as she was leaving the vehicle. She continued to be abusive at Mayfield Garda Station. She refused to give personal details and kicked furniture.

“She shouted, ‘you fat bastard’ and said, ‘I hope you die roaring’. She had to be restrained as she continued to be physically violent towards members.

“She attempted to bite Garda Stephen O’Leary on his hand on two occasions and tried to kick other members present.

“She was continuously abusive. She repeated a lot of her abusive language.”

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “It is a serious matter. You said to the guards, ‘I hope you die roaring’.” The judge required the accused to write letters of apology to the gardaí and she confirmed she had done so.