Cork woman charged over criminal damage to home

Judge Philip O’Leary said that he could only remand the woman in custody without her consent for two weeks.

 A woman aged 67 was remanded in custody with consent to bail today on a charge of causing criminal damage and trespassing at a house at Glasheen in Cork on June 28.

Mary Watt, previously of 12 Sandymount Drive, Glasheen, Cork, is charged with trespassing at that same address on June 28 in a manner likely to cause fear in another person and causing criminal damage to a rear window at the house on the same date.

Garda Ian Lester brought the charges against the defendant who was previously remanded in custody with consent to bail.

Mary Watt appeared at Cork District Court in custody. Judge Philip O’Leary asked the defendant: “Did you apply for bail?” She replied: “I did not. Because bail breaches my constitutional rights.” Judge O’Leary said that the opposite was the case and that bail asserted her constitutional rights.

The case is listed for hearing on October 7. The defendant would not consent to an adjournment to that date. Judge O’Leary said that he could only remand her in custody without her consent for two weeks so the case was put back until September 25 with a view to a further adjournment to October 7.

The defendant objected and complained that she had not been given any prosecution documents that were previously directed by the court to be sent to her. Inspector Brendan McKenna said that documents had been sent to her in prison and he had documentary confirmation from the prison that they were given to her. He said that apart from the custody record and garda notebook entries, all other statements in the case had been served on her.

Ms Watt said this was not the case. She also refused the offer to be represented by a solicitor on free legal aid. At the end of the hearing, Ms Watt asked Judge O’Leary to recuse himself from hearing the case as she alleged he was biased. The judge refused this application and reminded the woman that in a previous case of a similar nature against her relating to another date, he had actually dismissed the prosecution case.