HIV-positive woman who bit garda is spared prison

A HIV-positive woman who ‘savagely’ bit a female garda on both arms has avoided a jail term.

Mary Kamunya, 39, sunk her teeth into both arms of Dublin-based garda Sheenagh Mary Carroll at Donegal Town District Court.

Kamunya, who at the time was having ‘psychotic’ episodes, also scratched the garda on her face and lips and threw her through connecting doors on November 10, 2014, Donegal Town Circuit Court was told.

Gardaí had to pepper-spray the defendant to free her teeth, which were sunk firmly into the garda’s forearms, the court heard.

The court heard Kamunya was delusional and thought gardaí were injecting her. On other occasions believed she was the President of the US and needed to go to the White House, and also thought she was a ‘Princess of Ireland’, it was heard.

In a victim-impact statement, Garda Carroll said that when she dealt with the defendant she was not told Kamunya was HIV positive and had major mental health issues.

Garda Carroll told the court she was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital and was in a very distressed state. When told in Letterkenny Garda Station that her assailant was HIV positive she got very upset.

The garda is suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and is reluctant to search female prisoners as a result of the assault, it was heard.

Defence counsel Peter Nolan read out a psychiatric report that detailed how her HIV-positive state led to some psychotic episodes for Kamunya. Mr Nolan said the defendant had been ‘sexually assaulted’ in the North, and that her husband had left her. The court heard Kamunya’s situation was now more stable, and that she apologised for the attack.

Judge John Aylmer imposed a twoyear suspended sentence on Kamunya, of The Maples, Lismonaghan, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, after she pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. She was also told to enter into a bond of €100 to keep the peace.