Cloyne woman fails to appear for sentencing over poker attack

The judge issued a warrant for her arrest and said he would put the case back to Friday, January 15. File photo

A Cloyne woman facing sentence for assaulting a neighbour failed to appear in court as she was the victim of a recent assault herself but the sentencing judge issued a warrant for her arrest.

Sheila O’Keeffe, 36, of Spittal Street, Cloyne, County Cork, was to face sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on a charge of assault causing harm to Henry O’Callaghan by striking him with a poker on October 14, 2018.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin was told that Sheila O’Keeffe suffered a serious assault last week and was unable to attend court yesterday. Donal McCarthy prosecution barrister confirmed that gardaí accepted that defendant, Sheila O’Keeffe, had been assaulted.

However, he added that the gardaí alleged that: “This lady shouted and roared at his (injured party, Mr O’Callaghan) front door and banged at his front door around the Christmas period.” The judge issued a warrant for her arrest and said he would put the case back to Friday, January 15.

William Bulman BL, acting for Sheila O’Keeffe’s husband and co-accused, Jason O’Keeffe, said this man had vacated the property in Cloyne and now lived in Rostellan in Midleton.

Judge Ó Donnabháin responded to that by saying: 

Anyone who leaves Cloyne, I am sure it is a major hardship and I will take that into consideration.

Previously, Garda Kieran Cotter said the injured party told gardaí that he went out to his front door and that Jason O’Keeffe punched him in the face, knocking him back on to his sofa. He continued the assault when the injured party was on the sofa, the guard said.

Garda Cotter said Sheila O’Keeffe picked up Mr O’Callaghan’s poker and struck him with it. The victim lost four teeth and sustained other injuries during the assaults.