Cork woman who denies breaking curfew was in 'deep medicated sleep' when gardaí called

The woman had breached her bail conditions - to remain at home during curfew - four times

She said that she was at home every time gardaí called but had fallen asleep after taking potent prescription medication and did not hear the gardaí call to her door. File photo: Dan Linehan

A woman repeatedly failed to answer the door to gardaí during a curfew because she was in a deep medicated sleep and is "one of the few who can disengage" from her mobile phone, a court heard.

Rose Stocker, 41, of 83 Forthhill, Moneygourney, Douglas, was accused of repeatedly breaching one of her bail conditions - to remain at home during curfew.

But she said that she was at home every time gardaí called but had fallen asleep after taking potent prescription medication and did not hear the gardaí call to her door. She also said that she rarely looks at her mobile phone and often misses calls.

“Look at my mobile, you’ll see I haven’t answered a call in a long time,” she said.

Judge Alec Gabbett said:

I’m delighted that you’re one of the few that can disengage [from technology].

Since her last court appearance, on September 23 in Midleton, Stocker had breached her bail conditions four times by not answering gardaí when they called to her door to check if she was obeying her curfew, the court heard.

She told the court that she had been sleeping on the couch in a room downstairs with the window open so that she could hear gardaí if they called during curfew hours.

But since a man died in that room who she had worked hard to keep alive while waiting for the ambulance, she has not wanted to sleep there anymore.

Her solicitor, Matthew Birmingham, said that his client said that she was indeed at home during curfew hours when gardaí called but due to heavy medication she is taking for a spinal disease, she was in a deep, medicated sleep and did not hear them. On one occasion she said she was in the shower.

Mr Birmingham said that she takes her medication early, at about 8.30pm and goes to bed early. She also gets help going up and down the stairs in her home, he said.

Gardaí called to her home on three occasions in September and once in October between 10.45pm and 11.30pm but Stocker did not answer the door. Gardaí objected to further bail.

Judge Gabbett asked: “If the guards call again will you open the door if they come at 7pm? Do I need to change the hours of the curfew?” Stocker agreed that an earlier curfew would be better.

Judge Gabbett changed her curfew times to be contactable at home from 8pm - 7am. “Gardaí can then call at 8.15pm,” he said, warning her against any further breaches of her bail conditions.