Arrest warrant issued for Cork woman convicted of three assaults

Cases against 22-year-old Denise Cawley of Parker Place, Passage West, County Cork, were listed for hearing but she failed to show up in court.

A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of a Passage West-based woman following her conviction for assaulting three women in different incidents in the town.

Cases against 22-year-old Denise Cawley of Parker Place, Passage West, County Cork, were listed for hearing at Cork District Court but she failed to show up in court. Her solicitor, Donal Daly, was present without the accused.

Judge Marian O’Leary heard evidence of four different incidents including the three for carrying out assaults. The judge then issued a warrant to have the defendant brought to court to be sentenced.

Eve O’Sullivan testified that she was having a drink at The Criterion Bar in Passage on January 29, 2022, when Denise Cawley came in.

“I knew there was going to be break out because — I don’t know — she has something against me. I knew something was going to kick off.

“I walked to the smoking area. I felt someone hit the left side of my face,” she said.

Ms O’Sullivan said she also said hello to a young man in the area and he said hello to her, and that Denise Cawley asked: “What the fuck are you looking at, girl?”

 The witness said she replied: “I’m not looking at you, I am saying hello to my friend. That is when she hit me in the face.” 

Attack at Aldi

On February 13, 2022, another woman, Laura O’Donovan, was in Aldi in Passage doing her shopping.

“Denise approached me in Aldi’s. She said she was going to take my head off outside, she was going to kill me. I said, 'leave me alone, Denise'.

“Outside I got a bang in the back of the head. She grabbed me by the hair. Workers and people doing shopping separated us ... She (the defendant) was sticking up her middle finger,” Ms O’Donovan testified.

The third witness was a middle-aged woman, Patricia O’Donovan, who said that on May 8 she was shopping in Passage when she saw the defendant coming towards her on the street.

“I didn’t get what she said. She lifted her hand and pushed me in the chest ... She hit me in the chest,” Ms O’Donovan said.

Judge O’Leary convicted the accused on all three assaults and issued the warrant for her arrest, on the application of Inspector Martin Canny.

The cases were investigated by Detective Garda Tom Delaney. Victim impact statements will now have to be prepared.