Woman refused to hand over her phone to gardaí

A woman who refused to hand over her mobile phone during a garda investigation has been fined €200 for the offence.

Nora Ward of Glenview Park, Ash Lane was before Sligo District Court where she pleaded guilty to obstructing a member of An Garda Síochána from acting under a warrant.

Ward also pleaded guilty to one charge of theft.

The court was told on January 8th last at Glenview Park, gardaí were executing a search warrant to seize mobile phones.

Gardaí noticed Ward concealed a mobile phone between her clothing and her chest. She refused to hand over the phone to gardaí and got into a car to leave and refused to cooperate.

A female garda went to search the woman but she pulled away and resisted. The mobile phone was subsequently found on her.

She was later charged with obstructing Garda Kevin Brannick during the course of a warrant.

Solicitor, Mr Gerard McGovern told the court his client was annoyed that gardaí had come onto her property and she protested by not handing over the phone.

In relation to the theft matter the court heard on October 28th, 2019 Ward stole a children’s dress from Penney’s. Ward has 15 previous convictions. Mr McGovern said she had reared a big family ‘under difficult circumstances’. She had previous convictions for theft but had not recorded any in recent years.

Commenting on the theft matter, Judge Kevin Kilrane said it was not ‘excess theft’ and noted it had been 10 years since Ward had recorded such a conviction and he applied the Probation Act.

In relation to the obstruction charge, the judge said Ward was persistent about not handing over her phone and ‘should learn to cooperate with the system’.

Ward was fined €200 for the offence. Meanwhile, a 39-year-old man who trespassed a building and stole a bottle of scotch has been told he must deal with his problems.

Kieran Harte of Rinnatruffane, Geevagh was before the court where he pleaded to trespassing the curtilage of Doongeekagh House in Riverstown on February 8th last. He also pleaded guilty that on entering the house he stole a bottle of scotch worth €40.

Solicitor, Mr Gerard McGovern said his client suffered from alcohol addiction and had ‘fought it well’.

Aubrey Melville of Social Groundforce told the court Harte was definitely committed to change.

Mr McGovern described Harte as ‘a decent man with a bad illness’.

Judge Kilrane fined him €50 for each offence and told Harte he was getting a chance, that he needed to deal with his problems and to ‘ live life and enjoy it’.