‘Lastchance’ Suspended sentence

A woman has told how she was left homeless after being assaulted in her bedroom by her landlady.

She said she was pushed down on the bed by Fatima Bello because ‘I had my hair in the same way’.

The defendant, aged 26, was before the district court for a review of her case, and Judge McKiernan noted that a probation report was not favourable.

A young woman, who was living at Block 2, Apartment 12, Anne Street, Dundalk at the time of this incident on 6 April, 2019, testified that she felt scared and couldn’t breathe properly.

‘I was trying to hold back tears. I felt powerless. I didn’t think I was safe. I was worried about another landlord attacking me.’

The victim continued that she didn’t feel safe in her own bedroom and ended up homeless.

Judge McKiernan remarked Bello, of the same address in Anne Street at the time, hadn’t taken the opportunity to engage with the probation service and ‘accepted no responsibility for her actions’.

It was submitted on behalf of the defendant that she was a victim herself in the past and didn’t trust people in positions of authority which explained her difficulty in not engaging. A psychologist’s report was sought.

The judge said the probation service accepted Fatima Bello had a difficult background, but she was avoiding therapeutic intervention.

The court warned that the defendant was ‘at serious risk’. The case was adjourned for further engagement with the probation service, and Bello was remanded on continuing bail to 3 March, 2021 for finalisation and an updated report.

‘No more nonsense. This is the last chance,’ Judge McKiernan said.

A four-month suspended sentence has been handed to Paul Quilton (40) on a theft charge.

The defendant, with an address at the time, c/o Simon Community, Barrack Street, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to stealing a laptop and phone from a house.

He also admitted criminal damage and public order offences arising from separate incidents. Those charges were taken into consideration.

Evidence was presented that on 13 April, 2019, Quilton had been drinking at a house in Beacon Court, Coe’s Road. He left at 3am and it was later discovered a laptop and phone were missing from the kitchen.

Gardaí subsequently found the items behind a couch in Quilton’s house.

On 5 December, 2018, he got involved in an altercation at Mace, Castletown Road and knocked over a display of cans. The damage amounted to €20.

On 30 March, 2019, gardaí saw the defendant acting suspiciously in Earl Street and searched him. He was intoxicated,

He was arrested and charged with three public order offences.

There are 99 previous convictions. Solicitor Aimee McCumiskey said a probation report was extremely detailed. A psychiatric report was also handed in.

Quilton was due to plead guilty to a circuit court matter in January and Ms McCumiskey asked the court to adjourn this case until after that.

Judge McKiernan finalised it by imposing a four-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.