Woman involved in altercation outside school is jailed

A CRIMINAL record and failure to pay compensation prompted Judge Gerard Haughton to hand down a jail sentence to assault accused Rosemary Maughan (31) of 25 Fairfields Close, Adamstown.

Wexford District Court heard that an electric motor stolen from the branch of Aldi was discovered at her home by gardaí.

She was responsible too for taking €172 worth of cosmetics from Dunnes Stores in December of 2016.

The court also considered an assault Ms Maughan carried out on another woman in September of last year.

Sergeant Gary Rayner told how the defendant and injured party were involved in a school-gate altercation.

The other woman was later grabbed by the throat and her face was scratched by the accused.

Judge Haughton learned that the defendant had a previous conviction for an assault, imposed at a court in Naas.

The Wexford court was reminded that she had been ordered on a previous occasion to come up with compensation for those who had suffered thefts.

Defending solicitor Eric Furlong said that his client had been unable to gather the money due.

He explained that, after Ms Maughan’s brother died last year, she had to pay towards the funeral arrangements.

She lived in Adamstown with her partner and five school going children, said Mr Furlong.

He described her financial situation as dire.

Judge Haughton recalled that she had been offered the opportunity on a previous occasion to receive the benefit of the Probation Act if she paid €255 compensation.

Instead, arrest warrants had been issued when she failed to come to court and no money was forthcoming.

He calculated that if she had put aside 70 cent a day, then the compensation could have been paid in full.

He recorded a five month sentence for the assault and marked other matters ‘taken into consideration’.

Ms Maughan later served notice of intention to appeal this decision and she was release on bail from custody.