Woman armed with screwdriver near Leinster House made 'threats to harm' Leo Varadkar

Accused suffered mental health problems and was attempting to draw attention to herself at the time of the incident on July 21, court heard

The woman was arrested in the vicinity of Leinster House and 'made threats to harm Leo Varadkar', court told. File Picture: PA

A Dublin woman arrested near Leinster House armed with a screwdriver after “threats to harm” Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was sending “a cry for help”, a court has heard.

Dublin District Court heard Sinead Keogh, 33, of Glin Crescent, Coolock, had suffered mental health problems and was attempting to draw attention to herself at the time.

She pleaded guilty to possessing a screwdriver as a weapon during the incident on July 21 on Molesworth St.

She was on bail at the time and spent five weeks in custody until she was released last Thursday. She also admitted another similar offence for having a screwdriver as a weapon at Kildare Street on an earlier date.

She breached conditions and broke a previous order to stay away from the building during the latest incident.

The court heard she had been held earlier in the day under Mental Health Act.

But a doctor found self-inflicted superficial cuts to her arm to be "attention-seeking" and held she should not be admitted to hospital.

The court heard she phoned a crisis centre and threatened to attack a Government member. Garda Mark O'Neill said the woman was arrested in the vicinity of Leinster House and “made threats to harm Leo Varadkar”. She handed over the screwdriver and was arrested.

Brian Lindsay BL, defending, said Keogh was very apologetic. She had no prior criminal convictions.

Describing the incident as a "cry for help," counsel said Keogh had been diagnosed with mental health problems and had not taken her medication at the time.

The court heard she was now continuing to accept help and had family support.

Counsel said the five weeks in custody was her first experience of jail and the scariest time of her life.

Since getting bail last week, she obeyed conditions to follow the directions of her medical practitioners, stay out of Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 in the city centre, and obey a curfew from 6.30pm to 6am.

Judge Grainne Malone said she had to balance the serious nature of the location and what the defendant said against Keogh's mental health issues. She also noted the impact custody had on the accused.

Sentencing was adjourned until a date in November for psychiatric and probation reports to be prepared.